The Hotchner Family Vacation
by shelly.hoffer.7
Summary: A mini-story and part 4 in the Hotch/Kahlan line. The Hotchners finally get to take their vacation. It's time to relax and act like a normal family. Knowing this family, though, it will be anything but normal.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

While Hotch had gone back to work the Monday after the picnic, it took them all a couple days to get the BAU back to normal. During a coffee refueling break, Garcia found herself in the break room with JJ and Mack.

"Alright, Little Mama, you have spent more time with Boss Man than we have. Have you ever seen Hotch shirtless?"

JJ smiled. "I've only spent more time with him because of being on cases with him," she started and Garcia looked like she was going to strangle her, so she went on. "But, no, I have never seen him without a shirt until the picnic."

"I just thought it was because he's always so proper, but after the picnic, I don't know anymore," Mack admitted.

"Well, that's part of it I'm sure," JJ told her and then moved closer to the other women. "But I know he was embarrassed by the scars Foyet left him with."

Mack looked at her questioningly. She had heard the story of the psychopath, so she knew who JJ was talking about. "I didn't notice any scars. All I saw were lots and lots of muscles."

Garcia grinned. "I know, right? I mean, I've always known My Liege was one well put together machine, but. . ." she paused to fan herself. "But WOW." She shook her head. "I didn't see any scars either. Although I do have to admit that I wasn't really looking for any either. I was just so in shock that I just stared at those amazing pecks."

JJ laughed. "I was staring at that six-pack."

"Hell, I couldn't keep my eyes still to stare at anything. I was just trying to take it all in as fast as I could," Mack told them with a giggle.

"I don't understand," JJ admitted after she shook her head to try to get the image of her boss's half naked body out of her head. "I know he was scarred, and he never let anyone see him. Hell, even one time when he brought Jack to go swimming with Henry, he wore a water shirt."

They all paused as they thought about it, and Morgan walked in on them. "Ut-oh," Morgan started as soon as he took them all in. "What are you lovely ladies plotting?" He laughed at their looks. "Please. Those looks tell me you all are thinking about something you shouldn't be."

Garcia smiled, put her hands around Morgan's neck, and smiled nicely. "My Dark Adonis, have you ever seen the Hotch Rocket shirtless?"

"Ohhhh," Morgan started and looked at all of them slowly. "You're wondering about the picnic." They all quickly nodded. "Nah, ladies, I have never seen Boss Man shirtless before that either. He wouldn't even let his kids see him without a shirt from what I hear."

"Did you see any scars?" JJ asked him.

"No, and I was looking. I figured he had a bad one after getting shot like that, too." He shook his head slowly. "I don't what's happened."

Reid walked in with a smile. "I didn't know we were having a team meeting?"

"Reid would know," Garcia started as she fixed Reid with a look. Reid looked horrified at not knowing what she wanted to know. "Did you see any scars on our Beautiful Boss at the picnic?"

Reid smiled. "I know he had nine scars in various locations on his torso from Foyet, and he should have had one longer one on his abdomen from his recent surgery. All I saw at the picnic, though, was a few faint lines. I believe he has had plastic surgery."

They all looked at each other in shock. "Hotch wouldn't do that," JJ insisted.

Morgan smiled. "You're right. Hotch would never treat himself that well, but Kahlan would have."

They all started to smile as they thought about it.

"Well, whatever happened, I'm glad. It was nice to see Hotch comfortable enough to take off his shirt in front of us," JJ told them.

"And it was nice as hell to see, too," Garcia added. "While he's not quite as buff as My Chocolate Thunder," she started as she patted Morgan on the stomach. "Or my Puddin Cup, he was still a sight to behold."

"You better watch it, Baby Girl. With the way Kahlan jumped in and wrapped an arm around him, it was obvious she was telling every woman there that he was hands off," Morgan pointed out with a grin.

"Of course he's hands off, but it can't hurt to look," Mack told him with a smile.

"I just hope he doesn't get in the habit of going shirtless," Reid started and they all looked at him. "What? You have no idea how hard it was to get Amy's attention back after that."

They all laughed, but they quickly shut up when Rossi walked in. He looked at them all slowly. "I was wondering why the bullpen was so quiet. What are you all up to?"

They all glanced at each other. "We were discussing Hotch and his apparent new found. . ." Reid started.

"And you all just leave him alone about it!" Rossi demanded knowing full well what they were discussing. They all shared a few more looks. "He's finely comfortable in his own skin, and if you all start teasing him about it. . ." he left the treat unsaid, but they all caught it.

"Chill, Rossi. We wouldn't tease him about that any more than we would tease him about having scars," Morgan told him truthfully.

Rossi took a deep breath. "Sorry. I know you all wouldn't hurt his feelings on purpose."

"Yeah, we'll give it some time, but if he continues to let us see him, I will not be able to stop myself from complimenting his amazing physique," Garcia told him with a smile.

Rossi laughed. "Just give him time to get used to it himself." They all nodded and smiled. "Now, don't we have work to do?" They all left the break room and he got himself a cup of coffee as he smiled to himself. _Out of everything Kahlan has done for him, that is by far the best. He didn't deserve those scars or the reminder they gave him daily!_ He shook his head to try to get rid of the anger he felt rising up as he remembered Foyet. _I thank God for you Kahlan. If anyone deserves a woman like you, it's Aaron!_

XXX

After another day, they were flying out to their first case. That case led to another, and then another and a month had passed before Hotch even realized it. Kahlan, again, brought up a family vacation and he said he would talk to Paxton about it as soon as he got a chance. After a week and two more cases, she started to get impatient.

She had talked to the kids about going to Europe, and they were ecstatic. Then she talked to her mother about going with them so she could keep an eye on the kids so Kahlan and Hotch could have some alone time, too, and Cindi agreed without hesitation. Next, Kahlan talked to Donna about keeping the dogs, and she agreed with a look that told Kahlan she didn't have to ask.

After getting it all in order, Kahlan went to DNI Clapper. "With everything he has done for the Bureau, he deserves a vacation," Kahlan told him as they enjoyed lunch together one day.

"He does. What seems to be the problem?"

She shook her head. "I think, he thinks, they won't give him the time."

"How much time are we talking about?"

"Three weeks," Kahlan told him and then studied him because she wasn't sure if he would consider that to be too much. "We want to go to Europe," she quickly added.

Jim smiled. "Three weeks is easy. I can even bring in someone from one of the other units to fill in if Mueller wants."

Kahlan took a drink of her tea and another thought hit her. "Think you could get two people?"

Jim studied her. "After the work they did on the terrorist case and the fallout from it, I think they could all use three weeks' vacation."

Kahlan nodded her agreement as the wheels started turning in her head.

XXX

After three more pressing cases, Garcia met them at the glass doors as soon as they got back. "What is this?" she quickly asked Hotch as she stuck a piece of paper in his face.

Hotch sat his bag down and took the offending paper from the colorful tech and read it.

The rest of the team looked at Garcia questioningly. "We all got one," she told them.

Hotch's brows furrowed as he read the paper, and Rossi started to get an uneasy feeling. "What is it, Hotch?"

Hotch shook his head and finished reading the paper. "I'm not sure," he admitted as he picked up his bag and headed to the conference room. They all quickly followed him. He sat his bag down in his usual seat and looked at them. He went to say something and then closed his mouth as he reread the paper. He shook his head again. "It seems we have been put on stand down," he started and they all shared smiles. They had been working their asses off trying to catch up on cases that needed their attention since they were released form the special case for the DNI.

"And we all have to report to mandatory team building for the next three weeks," he finished and they could all hear the confusion in his voice.

"Team building?" Morgan asked flabbergasted. "Don't they know that this team is the closet team they have?"

"Three weeks?" JJ asked as she looked at her team mates. "What the hell could they have us doing for three weeks?"

"What about our cases?" Reid asked quickly.

"They're bringing in another team to take care of them in our absence," Hotch told him as he started to wonder if they had done something horribly wrong. "In fact, we are banned from the building for exactly three weeks starting tomorrow at seven a.m."

Rossi shot him a strange look. "Well, I never heard of such a thing! You wait until I talk to Bob!"

"What kind of team building is it going to be?" Garcia asked weakly. "I've never had to do anything like that with you all before," she told them, and they could all hear how nervous she was.

"It doesn't say," Hotch told them as he handed the paper to Rossi. He quickly went over it and then passed it to Reid.

"Then how will we know what to bring? How will we know where to go?" Morgan asked and they could all tell he was getting pissed. Teambuilding was usually a punishment for teams who weren't doing well.

"We have a meeting this evening at five," Reid told them as he handed the letter to JJ. "Apparently we will get all of the details then."

Hotch looked at his watch; it was 4:16. He looked at Garcia. "When did these come in?"

She shrugged. "About an hour ago, why?"

"So once we were on our way back," Rossi injected following Hotch's thoughts.

"Someone's been keeping tabs on us?" Mack asked quietly as she figured out what Rossi was getting at.

Hotch took a deep breath and grabbed his bag. "Go put your stuff away and start on the case files. We don't have that much time before we have to be in that meeting."

"It's in conference room six up on the next floor," Reid told them all.

"What can happen if we don't go?" Mack asked.

Hotch fixed her with his stare. "We will go and we will behave like the professionals we are." She swallowed hard and nodded. "We'll see what this is about and then we will decide as a team how to proceed," he added quickly as he looked at all of them. "They want to see us acting as a team, then that's exactly what we'll do!"

They all smiled and went to their prospective desks.

At ten minutes till, they all met at the glass doors and got into the elevator together. They were silent as they were all lost in their own thoughts about what the whole thing meant. Hotch opened the door to the conference room that was twice as big as theirs. He almost lost a step when he saw Director Mueller and DNI Clapper sitting at the conference room table. Clapper and Mueller stood up, and Hotch shot Rossi a look as they made their way in. Clapper smiled. "Please have a seat Agents," he told them as he gestured to the seven seats across from him. Hotch took a deep breath and made his way to the middle seat. Rossi sat on his left, and Morgan sat on his right. Next came JJ on the left and Reid on the right, followed by Garcia on the right and Mack on the left. Mueller and Clapper finally sat down once they were all seated.

"First, let me, again, congratulate you and your team on a job well done," Clapper told Hotch.

"And since we've done such a great job, we're getting punished?" Morgan asked him before Hotch could say anything. Hotch shot him a look that told him to shut up, so he did.

"No, Agent Morgan, you are not being punished," Mueller told him with a smile.

"On the contrary, you are being rewarded," Clapper told him and then looked at them all.

"Rewarded, Sir?" Hotch asked.

"Yes. Starting tomorrow, you all have three weeks of mandatory team building," Mueller started.

"Team building can consist of anything that makes a team stronger, correct?" Clapper asked Hotch.

"Yes, Sir," Hotch told him as his brows furrowed trying to figure out what was going on.

"Well," Clapper started again with a smile. "With all of the hard work that you all have but in, I would also think some time off would help build your team back up." Hotch nodded as he started to understand. "To recharge the batteries, so to speak," Clapper continued. "I couldn't legally give you all extra vacation time, nor could I make it mandatory for you all to take some of the vacation time you all have saved up at the same time." The whole team started to share quick looks. "But I can arrange for special team building that only has two requirements." He paused to look at them all slowly. "The only requirements are is that none of you are allowed in this building, and none of you are allowed to take any work home. What else you do with your time is strictly up to you."

Before anyone could say anything, Mueller took over. "We would have done this as soon as the Daniels case was over, but I knew there were pressing cases that desperately needed your all's expertise. Now that those cases are solved, I feel comfortable enough to allow another team to come in and handle the case load while you all are away from the BAU."

"So we are on vacation after today for three weeks?" Garcia asked quickly.

Clapper smiled. "No. You are on a team building exercise."

"Oh, right," she said as she put her finger to her mouth. They laughed.

Hotch shook his head. He had the feeling his wife was behind it. "Three weeks?" he asked Clapper.

Clapper smiled at him. "Three weeks to go wherever and do whatever you want."

Hotch huffed and shook his head some more. Rossi looked at Hotch, but Clapper stood up. "I would greatly appreciate it if you all kept the details of this team building to yourselves."

They all stood up and started nodding their agreement. "And if any of you are caught in here in those three weeks, I will bust you back to probationary agent and send you to the worst hellhole I can find," Mueller added with threat. They all laughed and promised they wouldn't. "But I do expect todays' files to be turned in before you leave for the night," he added before any of them could turn for the door.

"Enjoy yourselves," Clapper told them seriously. "You deserve it!"

As soon as they got in the elevator, they all fixed Hotch with a look. "What?"

"This was Double-O, wasn't it?" Garcia asked him. Everyone else's looks told him they all thought the same thing.

He smiled but didn't say anything as the door opened and he went to his office without another word. As soon as he opened the door, he smiled again. Kahlan was sitting at his desk. He shook his head. "I knew it."

She got up with a smile and met him halfway across the floor. "I went to him about you, but it was his idea to do it for the whole team," she told him truthfully.

Hotch pulled her into a hug. "They deserve it, though."

"Of course they do," she agreed as she pulled away from him and pushed him toward his desk. After he sat down she went behind him and started massaging his shoulders. "I do have one question for you," she started and he craned his head around to look at her. "I've invited Mom so she can watch the kids so we can get a little alone time." He nodded. "Would you care if I invited Dave, too?"

He smiled. "Of course not! Everyone would love that!"

She smiled and gave him a quick kiss. "I didn't think you'd mind, but I had to ask. I'll go ask him now," she told him and started for the door.

"When do we go?" he asked before she could leave.

She turned to him and smiled. "Tomorrow morning and you're already packed."

He shook his head as he watched her leave and then opened the file on his desk.

The whole team finished their files in record time and they all went out for a drink to discuss what they were going to do with their time off.

"I've already talked to Puddin. We are going on a road trip," Garcia told them.

"And where is he taking my Baby Girl?" Morgan asked.

"Don't know. We are going to get a map and point," she told him with a big grin. "What are you going to do?"

"Mina won't be home for about a week, so I am going to work on my Victorian, and then she is taking me to her home and introducing me to her family." Several whistles told him that they all thought things were getting serious. "What? They'll love me!" he insisted. He looked at Reid. "What are you doing, Pretty Boy?"

"Actually my plans don't differ from yours too much. I am taking Amy to Vegas. Mom has been dying to see her again."

Reid looked to JJ. "What are you all going to do?"

She laughed. "I am staying home overall. Will and I have decided that being able to hang out as a real family for three weeks is just too good to pass up. Besides, traveling with the twins would be hard at the age they are now."

"How about you, Mack, what are you going to do?" Rossi asked her.

She smiled. "I think I'm going home for a little while, too."

Morgan nodded and smiled at her. "Would a certain young SWAT officer be joining you?"

Her face flushed with embarrassment and they all knew the answer was 'yes'. "I think Sam is actually afraid of meeting my father." They all laughed.

"So what does Double-O have up her sleeve?" Garcia asked Hotch.

He smiled. "We are taking a family vacation to Europe. She wants to show me and the kids some of the sights."

That brought several raised brows. Rossi laughed. "Don't worry; I'll keep them out of trouble." With all of their looks he smiled. "Cindi and I are going with them."

They all laughed and had one more drink together and then left with wishes of 'good luck' and lots of 'have funs'. Garcia also made Hotch and Rossi promise to send postcards of all of the awesome places they were going, and then they all told them to give Emily their love.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

As soon as the Hotchners plus two stepped off the plane in London's Heathrow Airport and made it into the airport, several men and women suddenly surrounded them. They all froze. Rossi shot Hotch a look and Hotch shot Kahlan a look. _What the hell?_

"You will have to come with us, Ma'am," the man directly in front of Kahlan told her.

"What's this about?" Kahlan asked as her hand slowly made its way to the opening in her jacket.

Hotch quickly grabbed her hand and held it in his as he fixed the man with his stare. "Is there a problem?"

"Sir, this doesn't concern you," he told Hotch and then turned to Kahlan. "Now, please."

Kahlan wanted to tell them she wasn't going anywhere with them until they told her what it was about, but she didn't want to cause a scene in front of her children or her mother, so she took a deep breath and clamed herself down.

Hotch looked at Kahlan questioningly; she shrugged slightly. He turned to the man. "If you need to see my wife, then I will be going with you," Hotch told him in a tone that told him he wasn't going to back down.

The man shared a look with the woman beside him and then nodded. "Very well."

Hotch looked back to Rossi and then glanced at the kids. Rossi nodded his understanding. "How about we go get a drink and a snack, huh?" Rossi asked the kids with a big smile. They all looked at him with knowing looks, shot looks to their parents, and then Wyatt grabbed Joey's hand and led the way away from the group of strangers toward the café court. Kahlan chuckled and watched them walk away. Rossi and Cindi quickly followed the kids.

"Follow us, please," the man told the couple and turned to go farther into the airport.

Kahlan shared a look with Hotch and they both noticed the group of guards fall in behind them. Hotch leaned over and whispered into Kahlan's ear. "Jesus Christ, Babe, are you armed?" He wasn't sure if she truly had a weapon or if her hand went into her coat unconsciously.

Kahlan winced. "Yes."

"How the hell did you get that through security?"

She looked at him sheepishly. "It's not made of metal."

He shook his head. Another horrible thought hit him. "You're not wanted are you?"

She shot him a look and he wasn't sure if it was one of fear that she was or shock that he thought she was. She shook her head slightly. "I don't think so," she told him weakly. "My God. I haven't been here since 2001." _They can't still be mad about that!_

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. _And exactly what did you do when you were here?_ He shook his head and followed the man in silence the rest of the way. He didn't even want to consider what kind of charges could be brought against her for having smuggled a weapon into the country.

The security team took the couple to an interrogation room and left them alone. Hotch and Kahlan both knew the mirror taking up most of one wall was a two-way one. They also figured there was probably some sort of camera and listening device in there, so they didn't say anything. Kahlan huffed and sat down at the long table. Hotch chose to lean up against the wall behind her and folded his arms across his chest.

After several long minutes, the door opened, and a smiling man walked in.

"Clyde!" Kahlan yelled as she stood up.

"Easter!" Hotch yelled at the same time.

Clyde stopped in his tracks. They could both tell he was surprised to see Hotch in the room.

Kahlan and Hotch both shared a look of surprise. Hotch opened his mouth to say something, but Kahlan beat him to it. "Alright, it's obvious how I know him, but how do you know him?" she asked her husband. Clyde laughed at the couple, and Kahlan fixed him with a deadly look. "And you shut up! I will get to you in a second!"

Hotch noticed Clyde swallowed hard and he almost chuckled. "I know Easter because he is the one who took Emily away from us," Hotch explained.

"Did you tell her we were coming?"

"No. I wanted it to be a surprise," Hotch told her.

Kahlan considered it a moment and then looked at Clyde. "What the hell is this about, Clyde?"

"Why are you with Agent Hotchner?" he asked instead of answering her.

Hotch took a step towards him. "Because she's my wife. What is this about?"

Clyde slowly looked back and forth between them. "You're serious? _She's_ your wife?" he asked and they could hear the disbelief in his voice.

Kahlan took a deep breath. "Clyde, if you don't explain this to me by the time I count to three, I'm going to kill you," she told him flatly. Hotch shot her a look; he wasn't sure if she was joking or not.

Clyde chuckled. "Even you couldn't get away with that here," he insisted.

"One."

"You wouldn't dare!" Clyde yelled as he took a step back.

"Two," she said calmly as her hand went behind her.

Clyde shot a look to Hotch, and Hotch could see the fear in his eyes. Hotch tensed. _Christ, she has two weapons?_

"Thr. . ."

"Alright!" Clyde yelled as he held up his hands in submission. "Facial recognition software caught you coming off the plane and alerted us. We wanted to see what you were up to," he told her quickly.

She shook her head. She knew it had to be something in the actual plane or from when she got off it because she knew her face wasn't in any database back home. "You could have just come up and asked. You didn't have to scare my whole family with your goons!" she told him as she sat back down.

Hotch and Clyde both finally relaxed. "Your family?" Clyde asked as he took a seat across from her.

She held up her left hand. "Married, kids, mother, you know, family!"

Clyde looked back and forth between Hotch and Kahlan some more apparently still not convinced that they were indeed married.

Kahlan shook her head some more. "Jesus Christ! We're here on a family vacation!"

The door opened and a young woman walked in with a handful of pictures. She gave them to Clyde and left without a word. Kahlan snatched them out of his hand before he had a chance to look at them. She looked through them and slammed one down on the table in front of him. "See! Aaron, Wyatt, Jack, Joey, Mom, and Dave!" she yelled as she pointed each of them out in the picture. Hotch was also holding hers and Joey's hands in the picture.

Clyde sat up a little straighter as he looked at the picture. "Isn't that Agent Rossi?" he asked Hotch.

Hotch sighed deeply. "So what if it is?"

Clyde looked at Kahlan again. "So you're not here on a job?"

She ran a hand down her face. "No, Clyde, I've been out since '02."

He studied her face and finally smiled apparently believing her. "You can understand our concern."

She huffed. "If you would have read the passenger manifest and did a little research before you jumped to conclusions, you would have seen I was traveling with kids. No matter what you thought of the adults with me," she continued as she shot Hotch a look. "You should have realized I wasn't on the job."

He smirked. "It wasn't until after you landed that we were alerted to your presence. We didn't have time for that kind of research."

She gave him an evil smile. "And what do you think would have happened if I was on the job and your goons surrounded me?"

He swallowed hard but then smiled. "You wouldn't kill innocent people."

She stood up. "We're leaving," she told him flatly and started for the door.

"We'll be keeping an eye on you," Clyde told her with a smile as he also stood up.

Hotch shot him a look and then followed Kahlan out the door.

As soon as they were out into the main airport, Hotch pulled Kahlan to a stop. She shook her head quickly. "Not here," is all she said and went in search of her family.

Hotch shook his head and then quickly caught up with her. They found the kids enjoying ice cream and they quickly collected them and their luggage and then grabbed a taxi.

Within minutes they were at a hotel in downtown London. They weren't due to check in at the castle for a couple days so they all decided to stay in London and see some of the sights there first. Hotch and Kahlan's room connected to the kids' but Hotch shut the door after telling Wyatt he needed to talk to their mother. Wyatt nodded his understanding and turned on the TV.

Kahlan took off her coat and Hotch saw the gun hanging in a shoulder holster. As soon as she took it off and laid it in the drawer in the nightstand, he went and took it out to inspect it. "What the hell is this, Babe?"

Kahlan smiled. "I never travel out of the country without at least one weapon," she told him plainly.

"You know that's not what I meant," he told her as he turned the pistol over in his hand.

She smiled deviously. "It's made out of a mixture of plastic and rubber," she told him as she took it from him and took it apart. "The clip only holds five shots, though, because that's all the heat it can stand before it deteriorates enough to make it not safe to shoot." She smiled as she handed him the pieces to inspect. "Great for going through metal detectors, but it sucks in a really bad situation." He shook his head and put it back together and put it in the drawer and closed it. "And who are you to judge me? I saw you put your back-up pistol in your bag."

He huffed. "Yeah, in the checked luggage. I didn't have it on the damn plane." She shrugged. "You have another weapon, too." She tried to look innocent, and he laughed. "It's in the back of your waist. I would think it's a knife, but I couldn't tell you what it's made out of."

She smiled as she drew it. She flipped it in her hand and handed it to him. "I never leave home without one," she told him with an evil smile.

"Porcelain?" he asked as he inspected the throwing knife.

"Yep. And be careful, it's sharp." He handed it back to her. "It's funny, they've just now gained recognition for kitchen knives but they been around a lot longer," she told him as she put it back in its sheath.

He sat down on the bed and fixed her with a look. "So what was that back there at the airport?" he asked as he pulled her into his lap.

"I am sorry about that. I had no idea they had my face in their computers."

"Have you done anything here that I need to be aware of?"

"No," she told him as her face scrunched up. "I can't believe you thought I was wanted."

He laughed. "And yet your face showed fear that you were."

She huffed and got up. "I might have pissed off a few people the last time I was here, but I didn't do anything to make me actually wanted, not here."

_So you're possibly wanted somewhere else? My God, Babe._ He shook his head. "Easter was apparently one of those pissed off people?"

She winced and cut her eyes to the side. "Not exactly."

He stood up and sighed heavily. "I'm waiting," he told her as he put his arms around her neck.

She smirked and he could tell she was trying to decide if she wanted to share the story or not. She pulled away from him. "The squad tracked a target here, and Interpol, Clyde and his team in particular, insisted that the man wasn't here; that there was no way he could have gotten into the country without them knowing. I chose to ignore him and the rest of Interpol, and we tracked him down without their help or blessing. When we found him, we also exposed several officials and Interpol agents that were working with him. It was all rather embarrassing for them."

He smiled. "He apparently knows you well enough to be scared of you."

"I have work here many times. We are allies, you know."

He studied her face. "I guess this means we will have a problem no matter where we travel?"

She smiled deviously. "Not after we get back home and I have Cameron work his magic."

His face showed his shock. "He can do that?"

She laughed. "How do you think known criminals travel between countries? They have a computer expert that can hack the systems and either erase pictures or do whatever that stops facial recognition from being able to pick them up. I was just foolish enough to not realize they would have me in their databases." She shook her head at her own lack of foresight. "But Cam will fix that," she assured him. He laughed. "Computers have come a long way since I got out," she tried to defend herself.

He laughed some more. "So you really think he will be watching us or you specifically?"

She cringed. "Probably. Sorry, Hun."

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. We're here to have fun and relax," he told her as he pulled her into a hug.

"That's right," she told him with a smile and pulled away from him. "Let's get the kids. Big Ben is beautiful at night," she told him as she grabbed her coat.

He laughed and then went to the kids' room to get them.

By the time they had explored some of the city and had eaten dinner, Joey was asleep in Hotch's arms as they made their way back to the hotel. They turned in and Hotch told them all to sleep in so they could enjoy their vacation.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Kahlan awoke to an empty bed. She sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. _He's getting too quiet!_ She smiled as she saw a note on the nightstand: 'Gone to get you breakfast. Be right back. Love, A.' She made her way to the bathroom and after a shower and getting dressed she emerged to find Hotch at the little table with coffee and pastries. She went up to him and gave him a kiss. "Morning, Hun," she told him and sat down in his lap.

"You slept well. I don't think I've ever been able to sneak away from you except at home," he told her with a smile.

She shrugged. "I guess being on vacation has allowed me to relax as if we were at home."

By the time everyone got dressed it was a little after noon. Kahlan made a few phone calls and they all made their way to a café.

Jack quietly walked up and reached around and put his hands over Emily's eyes. She froze. "Guess who?" Jack asked and then laughed.

"I know that laugh!" Emily exclaimed and turned around. With a massive smile, she swallowed Jack in a hug. "What are you doing here, Jack?"

"We are on vacation," he told her as everyone else walked up.

Emily stood up in shock. She looked at all of them with a smile, and they could tell she didn't know who to hug first.

Rossi made the decision for her and pulled her to him. "How have you been, Princess?"

She pulled away from him and Hotch grabbed her. "Good. It's so great seeing you all!" she told them and then pulled Joey into a hug and then Wyatt. "My God, you all have really grown in a year!" she told them as she studied the kids. "How did you know where I was?"

Kahlan chuckled. "I still have a couple contacts here."

Emily laughed and pulled her into a hug. "They look great, Kahlan. You are doing a wonderful job with them all!"

"How's your little man doing?" Hotch asked her as they all sat down around her.

"Michael's growing like a weed. Every time I think he has enough clothes, he outgrows most of them," she told them with a smile.

"Yeah? Just wait until he's their size," Kahlan told her with a grin at the boys.

"How's the hubby?" Rossi asked her.

"Working hard as usual," she told him with a grin. "You all have to come over for dinner tonight. Michael would love to see the kids, and Brent loves to show off his culinary skills."

Kahlan smiled and looked at Hotch. "Sure," he told her.

"Great! I'll send you the address. How's six sound?"

XXX

After leaving Emily to her work and a promise to see her for dinner, they wondered around the city a little more.

Wyatt ran back to his parents. "They're doing 'Macbeth' this week," he told Kahlan with a smile.

Kahlan's smile grew with the news as they looked at the Globe Theatre. She turned to Hotch. "Please!" she begged.

He shook his head at her. "You're worse than one of the kids."

"Oh come on, how awesome would it be to see 'Macbeth' performed in the round like in Shakespeare's day? The kids can go back to school and share it with their classes," she grabbed his hands in hers. "Please! I never got the chance to go once they reopened it!" she begged with a pout.

Hotch looked at Rossi and Cindi. "What? There's no way I could tell that face no!" Rossi told him.

Cindi shook her head. "And now you know how she has always gotten anything and everything she's ever wanted."

Kahlan looked at him with raised brows and a smile. Hotch laughed. "I don't care."

Kahlan bounced with joy and leaned up to give him a kiss. "Thank you."

The kids laughed and Jack and Joey went up to see what time the performances were scheduled. He checked his watch and they made their way back to the group. "We can go to the next one in a little over an hour, and still have time to get to Aunt Emily's."

"What's McBeth about?" Joey asked her.

"It's 'Macbeth', and there's ghosts, and witches, murder, battles, and everything. You'll love it!" Kahlan told her with a smile. Joey considered it a moment then nodded.

"They're going to talk strangely, though," Wyatt pointed out.

Joey looked at him questioningly.

"They are going to use Shakespeare's language," Rossi explained.

"Is it like the knights from the Middle Ages?" Joey asked excitedly.

"No, but if you can understand that, you won't have any problem understanding them," Jack assured her.

They all laughed and decided to look for someplace to eat lunch.

After a few blocks, Hotch found a pub that he thought looked good. Kahlan shook her head. "Not there," she told him and then pulled him along.

"Why not? It looks authentic," he said as he pulled her to a stop.

"It has a horse head on the sign," she told him.

"So?"

She chuckled and she had reminded herself that he hadn't traveled. "A horse head means they serve horse meat, not beef."

Hotch's face showed his disgust. "Really?"

"I've heard there's not much difference in taste, but I've never been brave enough to try it. Could you imagine what Joey would do if she found out?"

"If I had gone in there and ordered a steak, it would have been horsemeat?" he asked and she nodded. He shook his head and started walking again. "I'm so glad you knew that."

She laughed and they quickly caught up with the rest of the family.

XXX

After a light lunch they made their way back to the theater. Hotch had to smile at the way Kahlan was engrossed in the play. While he wasn't surprised by that, he was surprised to see the kids actually enjoying it, too. He smiled as he watched his family. _A vacation is exactly what we needed!_

He had to stop a laugh when Macbeth died because while most of his family wore smiles, Kahlan and Joey had cringed and shook their heads. He shook his head. _She's just like her mother!_

After the play, they strolled around the park near Emily's. "Macbeth was dumb!" Joey told her parents as she walked in between them and held both of their hands.

"Why do you say that?" Hotch asked her.

"He should have paid attention to the ghosts. If he would have, he would have been ready when the other guys showed up."

"He misunderstood the warnings. He took them to mean he was invincible," Wyatt pointed out.

Joey nodded as she considered it. "He could have won if he did things differently."

Kahlan and Hotch shared a look over her head. Kahlan smiled and Hotch shook his head. _Only our children would be picking apart Shakespeare, and only Joey would be analyzing the tactical decisions of the main character._

At six, Emily opened the door and they could all smell the wonderful aromas wafting out of the kitchen. Emily smiled and invited them all in. Michael, her three year old son, quickly took all the kids to his room to show him his toys. Kahlan gave Wyatt and Jack a smile for being good sports. Emily showed all of the adults to the family room and got them all some wine. "I can't believe it has really been a year already," Emily told them. She had brought her family back to Quantico before, but it had been a while since they saw everyone personally. Normally they kept contact through video chatting and such.

"Everyone sends their love," Dave told her. "Especially Pen."

Emily laughed. "Is she ever going to have any kids? The last time I talked to her all she could talk about were everyone's kids. She had to tell me everything about all of them and show me all of their latest pictures. When I asked her if there were any kids in her future, all she did was smile."

"I bet once the twins get a little bigger, she'll be wanting one of her own," Kahlan told her with a grin.

Brent, Emily's husband of four years, came in and told everyone to get to the table. They all sat down and enjoyed a wonderful meal of several of England's signature dishes. The Fish and Chips were grabbed by the kids first, but the adults preferred the Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding and the Chicken Tikka Masala.

"Why do they call it pudding when it's just a piece of bread?" Joey asked as she looked at the popover.

Wyatt shrugged. "I was a little grossed out when Uncle Brent said Roast Beef and Pudding. I pictured meat cooked in actual pudding," he confessed sheepishly.

"That is actual pudding," Brent told him with a smile. "It's just our pudding is not the same as American pudding."

Kahlan laughed. "Wait until we get to Scotland and you see haggis on all of the menus."

"What's haggis?" Jack asked quickly.

"You don't want to know," Hotch told him seriously.

XXX

Once they finally bid Emily goodbye, Dave and Cindi insisted on taking the kids back to the hotel so Hotch and Kahlan could go enjoy some of the nightlife.

After changing and telling the kids 'goodnight', they made their way towards the clubs. As they got close to one, the music that was coming out of it made Hotch smile. He turned to Kahlan. "Come on," he told her and started pulling her to it.

"What? You want to go in there? People can't even dance to that shit," she joked as 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' played. The signs on the outside of the club promised the best Beatles renditions in London.

"Please!" he begged trying the same tone and face she had used on him earlier.

She laughed. "And they say I'm the spoiled one."

He quirked his brows at her and she giggled. "Go, baby," she told him, and he pulled her into it.

They ordered a drink and sat at a table as Hotch enjoyed listening to the band. Kahlan enjoyed seeing her husband so happy. He noticed her look and shook his head. "I just sat through five acts of Shakespeare for you."

"I know, and I love you for it."

"They're pretty good," he told her as he gestured to the band.

"They sound a lot like the Beatles," is all she offered.

When they started a new song, Hotch smiled and pulled her out of her seat. "What?" she asked quickly. He just smiled and pulled her to the dance floor. "They actually made a slow song?" she asked in disbelief.

"You wound me," he told her seriously and then pulled her into his arms. He took her around the dance floor as the band played 'Something.' She giggled as she listened to the lyrics. When the song was over, he took her back to the table. "And you said we couldn't dance to their stuff."

She laughed. "I stand corrected."

After about another half an hour, he suggested that they could go. "We don't have to leave," she insisted.

He shook his head and pulled her out the door. "I don't know if we'll find any country places around here, but we can find something else that you will actually enjoy," he told her as they walked down the sidewalk.

"I was enjoying myself," she told him. "I was enjoying watching you enjoy yourself."

He laughed and grabbed her hand. "And I love you for it."

"Besides, I think it was torturing that MI6 guy," she told him and then laughed at his surprised look.

"What?" he asked in disbelief.

She pulled him to a stop. "See that guy with the brown jacket and wire-rimmed glasses?" she asked quietly as she pulled him into a hug that moved him in the direction of the man.

"Yep," he told her as he pulled back and they started walking again. "I think they're called SIS now for Secret Intelligence Service," he pointed out.

"Oh," she told him and then shook her head. "No one tells me these things," she added with a giggle. "He's been following us all day," she told him as they continued walking. After about a block, Kahlan studied the street around them. "You want to lose him?" she asked deviously.

He grinned at the look on her face. "Lead the way."

"Be prepared to run when we get to the corner."

He chuckled. "Got it."

As soon as they reached the corner, Kahlan darted out into the street. Hotch never let go of her hand and they ran past several stopped buses and cars. The light had changed by the time the man following them had run to the corner, and the heavy traffic wouldn't allow him to cross. He quickly searched the street across from him but the Hotchners were nowhere to be seen. He cussed as he took out his phone.

Hotch laughed as they watched the man from the back of a double-decker bus as they got further down the street. "He didn't see us get on the bus," he told her as they sat down in a seat.

"Nope. That box truck blocked his view just long enough," she told him with a smile.

They noticed several of the passengers giving them strange looks, and they both looked at each other and laughed.

"Who knew vacation could be this much fun?" he said as he took one more look behind them.

"The next one won't be as easy." He looked at her questioningly. "Once they know he lost us, they'll send out someone better," she told him plainly.

He shook his head. "And yet, I still don't think it will be a problem for you."

She grinned. "This could actually get really fun before we leave."

"Do I sense a hint of hope for the challenge?"

She giggled her evil giggle. "Maybe."

He pulled her into a hug as he chuckled.

"What? I haven't gotten to play spy in a long time."

He shook his head and laughed some more. "Any idea where this is taking us?"

She looked around. "No idea."

They got off at the next stop and walked back the long way around to the hotel hand and hand. As soon as they rounded the corner, they saw two men step out of a car parked along the street. Hotch laughed at them as they went in. _We'll have to see how good they are tomorrow._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The next morning, Hotch awoke to an empty bed. He found a note under a cup of coffee and a pastry bag. 'Follow the clues to find us, Love K and K.' He chuckled; K and K meant Kahlan and kids. He went to the kids' room and found it empty. His brows furrowed. _And where would the first clue be, Babe?_ He took a drink of the coffee and with as cool as it was, he knew they had been gone a while. _What are you all up to?_ He shook his head and got dressed. When he heard Dave laugh next door, he decided to go and see if his unofficial parents knew anything.

Dave looked surprised to see him when he opened the door. "Why aren't you with your wife and kids?"

Hotch's brows furrowed. "You don't know what they're up to?"

Dave laughed. "Apparently not. Kahlan texted us last night to let us know we were on our own for the day. I just thought you would be with them."

Hotch showed him and Cindi the note. Cindi laughed. "Then you better hurry and find them."

"I would if I could figure out what the first clue is."

"Where was the note?" Dave asked.

"Under a pastry bag and a coffee," Hotch told him as he walked back to his room with them following.

"Did you look in the bag?" Cindi asked. Hotch's look told her he hadn't. She shook her head. "That's probably her way of telling you she wants you to eat."

Hotch went to the bag and sure enough, he pulled out anther note and a map of the city. He smiled. "I should have known."

Dave and Cindi shared a smile and then left him to his clue.

Hotch took the pastry out, took a bite of it, and sat down with his new note:

'I am your constant companion even though sometimes you do not see me.

If you try to chase me, I will run away.

If you try to run away from me, I will chase you.

What am I?

Tell your answer to the gentleman on the bench on Durward Street to receive your next clue.'

He chuckled. _Only my family would turn vacation into a game._ After another drink of the cold coffee, he grabbed his jacket and headed out of the hotel with his pastry and his clue. As soon as he stepped out of the hotel, he saw a man get out of the car that was parked across the street. He mentally smiled. _The other one must have followed Kahlan._ He chuckled. _God knows what they'll think of all this. Oh well._ He chose to ignore him and made his way toward his destination.

On his way to Durward Street, he stopped and got a hot coffee. By the time he got to the street, his coffee and pastry were gone, but his brows furrowed as he looked at the six benches lining the street. He took a deep breath as he counted four men sitting on them. _I'll look insane if I go up to the wrong one. Hmmmm. . ._ He took the note out of his pocket and read it again. 'Tell your answer to the gentleman on the bench. . .' _The bench. . ._ Two sets of benches were sitting side by side. _Could 'the bench' mean one that is by itself? _There were still two men. He ran a hand along his chin as he studied the two men. He smiled. _'The gentleman' doesn't mean man, it means an actual gentleman._ One of the men was an older man wearing a suit. He chuckled. He wasn't sure what Kahlan and the kids had done to get the man to play along, but he was a little nervous to approach him. _How do I do this without looking like a complete fool?_

He took a deep breath and went and sat down on the bench with the man in the suit. The man nodded graciously and went back to watching the street. _Only one way to find out._ Hotch cleared his throat and looked at the man. "Would you happen to have a note from a woman and three kids?"

The man looked at him and smiled. "That depends on if you have the correct answer."

Hotch smiled. "It's a shadow."

"Very good, young man, you have earned yourself another clue," he told him as he reached into his suit jacket and pulled out an envelope. Before he handed it to Hotch, though, he smiled again. "When your wife approached me this morning, I do have to admit I thought she was. . . a little off." Hotch chuckled. "But after hearing exactly what she was doing and then that precious little girl looked at me with those big brown eyes," he chuckled. "Well, I had to help," he finished and then handed Hotch the envelope.

"Thank you," Hotch told him with a smile. "They never cease to amaze me."

"I can imagine. Well, good luck with your quest. May your search be quick," the man told him as he got up and then turned to walk down the street.

Hotch licked his lips and opened the envelope. He smiled as he read the next clue:

'Most people call me Jack.

I am not your son,

I am popular, but not for a good reason.

You are at my first now.

Go to my last stop and find your next clue.'

Hotch laughed. _This is even easier than the first one._ He looked around and then took out his map and studied it. He knew the clue was referring to Jack the Ripper, so all he had to do was remember where the bodies of the mutilated prostitutes were found. He was almost positive the first one was found on Buck's Row, so he wasn't sure why Kahlan had said that Durward Street was the site of the first. He looked at the map. He also knew all of the murders happened in the Whitechapel district. He smiled. _They've changed the name of the street._ He looked at the surrounding area hoping the other street names weren't changed and would jog his memory. _Hanburg sounds right, and so does Mitre Square. Hmmmm. _He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. _Sometimes I really wish I had Reid's memory._

He looked at sky and a grin crossed his lips. _Dorset!_ He looked at the map and walked to the targeted street. Once he got there, he looked around. _But where exactly?_ He walked down the street slowly trying to take everything in. _'Find your next clue' means it's somewhere where I can see it._ He started running everything he knew of the last victim through his head. He knew she was the most mutilated.

A beautiful fountain set off to the side caught his eye. He walked up to it and smiled. The base of it had hearts going around it. _The last victim was also the only victim who had her heart removed._ He walked around it and found an envelope at the back. He picked it up and chose to ignore the people giving him strange looks. He walked to the nearest bench and opened up his next clue.

Before he had a chance to read it, though, the man who had been tailing him walked up to him. Hotch pulled the piece of paper back toward him.

The man eyed him warily. "Exactly what is it you are doing, Agent Hotchner?"

Hotch stood up and fixed the man with his stare. "That is none of your business."

The man looked up at Hotch because Hotch towered over him by almost a foot. "You have been traipsing around the city all morning. I saw that man pass you information. You also found another envelope here."

"And?"

"Exactly what kind of information have you been gathering?"

Hotch really wanted to say 'government secrets' but he knew the man would probably arrest him, and he was only doing his job. "It is nothing for you to concern yourself with."

The man huffed. "Then let me see it." Hotch held it out to him, and he took it and read it. Hotch wanted to laugh at the look on the man's face. "What is this bloody mess?"

"A game I am playing with my family. If you would be so kind as to give it back, I would like to get on with my day."

The man looked at it one more time and then handed it back to Hotch. "You are solving riddles to find your way around the city?"

"What can I say? My family likes adventure."

The man finally smiled. "Then, by all means," he motioned toward the bench. "Good luck with that one."

Hotch watched him and he was pretty sure he heard the man mumble 'Crazy Americans' as he walked away. Hotch shook his head and finally looked at his next clue:

'We are all here, past and present – never changing.

You may not use us to light your way.

The sun and heat are our only true enemies.

Right now we are where the stars used to shine for guests, no matter day or night.

Find us and find your next clue.'

Hotch's brow furrowed as he reread it. _Ok, I shouldn't have bragged about the others being easy._ He bit his lip as he got up and started walking. He thought for a second about calling Reid, but decided against it. _If they want me to play, I will be the one playing._ He found a little coffee shop and went in. He got himself a coffee and sat down at a table as he ran the clue over and over in his head. After several minutes he leaned back in the chair and put his hands on the top of his head. _Come on Hotchner! It can't be that hard. Stop over thinking it!_

His elbow was jostled and he quickly pulled his arms down and looked to see a waitress. "I'm sorry," he quickly apologized.

"Not at all, I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going," she told him with a smile and noticed his empty cup. "Would you like a refill?"

Hotch looked at the cup. "Please," he told her as he handed it to her.

"I noticed you were lost in thought," she told him with a chuckle. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

He sighed. "Just trying to figure out a riddle."

She pointed at his phone on the table. "Why not Google it?"

He smiled. "That would take all of the fun out of it, don't you think?"

She smiled. "And what do you get when you solve it?"

He shook his head. "I don't know about a what, but I know the who. My wife and children have set up clues for me to find them."

She laughed. "You're American?" He nodded. "And this is how you spend your vacation? You must have a great family."

He smiled widely. "Yes, I do."

She patted him on the shoulder and left to get him his refill. When she came back, he was rubbing his hands together rapidly still obviously trying to figure the riddle out. "Any luck?" she asked as she set his cup down.

"I think I've figured out parts of it, but I'm at a lost as to the whole," he confessed.

"Is human help out of the question?"

He raised his brows as he considered it. "Is there a planetarium here in London or actually one that is no longer being used as a planetarium?"

Her brows furrowed as she thought. "Yes. There are a couple of them."

He smirked at the news. "Do any of them have anything to do with wax?"

She gave him a strange look. "Wax?"

He shrugged. "Maybe not," he told her as he handed her the clue.

She read it and smiled. "Well of course it is wax."

He raised his brows as he looked at her. "I got that the second and third lines are talking about wax. The forth line refers to a planetarium, but I still haven't got the first line. That will explain which planetarium."

She grinned. "What would be made out of wax that would be considered 'we'?"

Hotch tilted his head as he thought about it. A smiled slowly made its way onto his face. "Wax figures."

She laughed. "Only one place that I know of that used to be a planetarium and now is a home for wax figures, Madame Tussauds."

He pulled his map out. "And where would that be exactly?"

She took the map and flipped it to show the right place. She sat it down and pointed it out. "Marylebone Road and Baker Street."

He looked at the map and then gave her a smile. "Thank you."

"If I were you, I'd get a trolley. It's not that close," she suggested. "Good luck," she added and then left him.

XXX

Hotch got out of the taxi and went into the wax museum. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the man tailing him get out of another taxi, and he laughed. He wasn't sure where he would find the next clue, so he looked around. After searching the whole place, he took a deep breath and headed to the information desk. "Would you happen to have a message for an Aaron Hotchner?"

The woman smiled. "We do," she told him and then handed him an envelope.

"Thank you," Hotch told her and went out and sat down on a bench in front of the museum. He opened it to find his next clue:

'The kindly gentleman did nothing wrong.

He secretly desired to let his morals go.

Once he did, it was too late to make things right again.

We are awaiting you where the second is named.'

_What the hell? You've read too damn many books, Babe._ He shook his head and reread it. He ran a hand across the back of his neck. _A man who wanted to let himself do bad things. . . That probably covers ninety percent of the population._ He ran a hand through his hair. _Has to be in the past; she used past tense. So some guy that gave in to his urges and once he did he regretted it. Ok, who?_ He looked at his watch: 12:43. _Second? Could she be referring to a specific time?_ He got up and started down the street. _No. She couldn't possibly know exactly how long it would take me to figure them out._ He huffed. _She probably thinks they're all easy._

He went into a little pub and ordered a soda. _Think Hotchner! She loves evil. . . so the guy was evil?_ The waitress sat his drink down but didn't say anything because Hotch had reverted to his work face without realizing it and it scared her. She walked away quickly, but he didn't notice; he was lost in thought. He finally noticed the glass in front of him and took a long drink. _But he was good to begin with. He changed._ He tapped on the table as he thought about it. _Put yourself in her shoes. She likes evil, dark, the macabre. . . It has to be someone famous. . ._ He took another drink as he tried to think of all of the evil men in London's past. '_Where the second is named'. Hmmm. . . There's two. It's two unsubs._ He took another drink. _Two famous men in London's past. One was good, one was bad. . ._ He shook his head. He couldn't think of any pair of men in London's past. _Wait. Books. . . That's got to be it. It's not someone real, it's two guys from literature._ He smiled for a second but it quickly disappeared. _Damn, though, there are a hell of a lot of books set in London._

He bit his lip. _A famous book that Kahlan would like with two main characters, one good and one bad. . ._ He smiled. _No it's not! I was right the first time. It's one guy, but he has two different names!_ He quickly pulled out the map and opened it to show all of London. He scanned it and his smile grew bigger. He finished his drink and walked outside. He figured he was only a little over a mile away, but he went ahead and hailed a cab.

"Hyde Park, please," Hotch told him as he climbed in the back.

"Where exactly? The park is over 142 hectares."

While Hotch had no idea what a hectare was, he knew form the map that the park was huge. "Main entrance?"

The man nodded and merged into traffic.

Hotch figured the clue was referring to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and seeing Hyde park cemented that thought, but he had to admit he had no idea where in the park they would be. _Hopefully there's a brochure at the entrance._

Within minutes he was there. Hotch paid the driver and got out. He stared at the massive arched entryway and looked around to see if he could see his family, but he didn't so he headed in. He smiled at a young lady handing out pamphlets on the park. He took one and thanked her. He found a bench and studied the map of the park. He pinched the bridge of his nose. _The lake is called the Serpentine; she'd like that. Joey would like the playground. The boys would like the open grassy areas if they brought anything with them. Hmmm. . . _He stood up and decided to go in the direction of the closest playground near the open areas along the lake.

Before he walked too far he noticed the man tailing him on his radio. The man then laughed and Hotch knew he was in the right place. _I guess if I can't find them I can ask him where his partner is._ He chuckled and went in search of his family.

After walking for what seemed forever, he heard someone yell. "Daddy!"

Hotch stopped and looked around. He was positive that was Joey's voice but he didn't see her anywhere along the pathway he was traveling, but with all of the trees hiding most everything he wasn't sure if he would be able to see her. He closed his eyes as a thought hit him. He raised his eyes and scanned the trees, and sure enough, his five year old daughter was making her way down one of them not too far ahead of him. He shook his head and made his way toward her. He smiled as he came up to the tree she was in, but his heart skipped a beat when he saw her. She was hanging upside down from one of the lower branches. "Would you please stop before you fall and hurt yourself," Hotch told her.

"Catch me, Daddy," she told him and then let herself fall.

"Don. . ." he couldn't get it out before she turned and landed in his arms. "Child! You are going to cause me to have a heart attack one of these days."

She giggled and moved to hug his neck. After a few moments she pushed her way out of his arms and down onto the ground. "Come on, we have lunch," she told him with a smile as she grabbed his hand and pulled him down the walk way.

He took a deep breath and let himself be guided as his stomach growled. Joey looked back at him and giggled again. "It better be something good with all the work I had to do to find you all." As soon as they got passed the last tree, Hotch saw Kahlan sitting on a blanket beside a picnic basket, and the boys were right behind her throwing a baseball.

Kahlan smiled as she stood up. "We were starting to get worried," she told him as she advanced on him and leaned up to give him a quick kiss.

"Finally! Dad's here. We can eat!" Wyatt yelled as he went to the blanket. Joey and Jack quickly joined him.

Hotch and Kahlan both laughed at them. "This was all your doing wasn't it?" he asked her as they sat down with the kids.

"It was my idea, yes, but the kids helped with the riddles," she told him as she handed out sandwiches.

"Did you like it, Daddy?" Joey asked as she got out a bottle of water and handed it to him.

He laughed. "It was unique, I'll give you that."

"I gave the first riddle," Joey told him as she passed around a bag of grapes.

"Yeah, who did the second?"

"That was me," Wyatt told him. "I thought you might like one about one of the most famous serial killers there ever was."

"Cause I don't get enough of them at work," Hotch told him dryly as he tried to hide a smile.

"But you knew it, didn't you?" Wyatt asked with a smirk.

Kahlan laughed. "Jack did the third one."

Hotch looked at him with surprise. "Did you make it hard enough?"

Jack smiled as he took a bite of his sandwich.

"So you did the last one?" Hotch asked his wife.

"Yep."

"You all planned all this morning?"

Joey giggled. "We did it back home as soon as we knew we were coming."

Hotch shook his head and then took a bite of his sandwich. After he swallowed he fixed Kahlan with a look. "This almost got me into trouble with our friends. I think he thought I was gathering intell or something."

Kahlan almost choked on her water. "Sorry, Hun. I didn't think about them. I guess you did look kind of suspicious," she told him with a laugh.

He shook his head at her. "It wouldn't have been funny if he had pulled me in for questioning."

That made her laugh even more. "No, that would have been hilarious!"

He shook his head again and threw a grape at her. "Love you, too, Babe." She was still laughing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

After finishing lunch, the Hotchners walked through the park together. The two men following them stayed back, but they stayed close enough to keep an eye on them. "Why are they following us?" Jack asked his parents after a quick glance at the men behind them.

"They're keeping an eye on your mother. They want to make sure she behaves herself," Hotch told him with a grin. Joey, who Hotch was carrying piggy-back style, giggled.

"Hey!" Kahlan laughed and smacked him on the chest.

"We should have made clues for them to see if they could find us," Wyatt suggested as he nudged Jack with the basket. Jack laughed.

Hotch shot Kahlan a grin, but she shook her head and then glanced at the kids with a look that told him she didn't want the kids to be in on their game with the agents. He chuckled.

They got to the park entrance and took a taxi back to the hotel. "We have to check out in the morning, anything special you all want to do before we leave London?" Kahlan asked the family as they made their way into the hotel.

"We could take a tour of London's most haunted places," Hotch suggested with a grin.

Kahlan's look of horror made him laugh.

"That would be awesome!" Wyatt agreed. Jack nodded his agreement, too.

"Go put your stuff away," Kahlan told the kids as she opened their door and then turned to go to her and Hotch's room.

Once they were in there alone, Hotch pulled her to him in a hug. "Thank you," he told her and gave her a kiss.

"For what?" she asked once she pulled away.

"For this morning. That was fun. I have to say I have never had to find anyone I love by following clues."

She giggled. "I'm glad you liked it," she told him as she put the basket away. "The kids really put a lot of thought into it."

"I bet," he told her as he pulled her back to him. "You really don't want to go on a haunted tour?"

"No!" she told him quickly as she shook her head.

He looked at her questioningly. "I would have thought you would love something like that."

She shook her head again. "No."

"Kahlan Lavonne Hotchner," he started as he looked her in the eyes. "Do you believe in ghosts?" She looked away from him without saying anything. "You do!" he half laughed as he shook his head. "How could someone with your intelligence believe in ghosts?"

"Intelligence has nothing to do with it! And when you've seen the shit I have. . ." she pulled away from him. "Just because you don't believe in it, Aaron; doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

He wasn't sure but he thought he saw fear cross her face for just a split second. _What the hell have you seen, Babe?_ He knew, though, from her look that she was completely serious.

"Take the boys. Go, have fun, but I am not going with you," she told him earnestly. "And I don't think Joey will want to go, either."

"Well, her I can understand, but even if you believe in it, I still thought you would want to see it," he told her as he studied her again.

"You can stop profiling me, Aaron," she told him rebelliously. "You want me to admit it? Fine! I'm afraid of the paranormal," she told him and started for the bathroom.

He pulled her to a stop by grabbing her arm and turning her back to him. "You're not afraid of anything," he told her seriously as he looked her in the eyes. "Well, except ants," he added.

She shivered in disgust at the mention of one of her arch nemesis. "I'm not afraid of them, they just give me the creeps," she demanded. "But you're right. I'm not afraid of any living thing," she started and then stood up taller. "But how do you kill something that you can't see or something that's already dead?" she asked him with raised brows obviously expecting an answer.

He let go of her and took a step back. "I guess you can't." She huffed. "Kahlan, you know that most of that stuff is faked, or the person who reported it is questionable at best."

She nodded. "Yes. About ninety percent of it is faked or can be explained away scientifically," she agreed. "It's the other ten percent that bothers me." He went to say something, but she stopped him. "I have seen things with my own eyes, and I have felt things; and I was not suffering a psychotic break at the time," she told him defiantly.

_At the time? Jesus, Babe, are you saying you have at some other time?_ He took a deep breath. "Alright, Kahlan. I'm sorry. I thought with your love for the macabre, that you would like something like that."

She looked at him sheepishly. "I love all of that stuff, but I know it's fake."

"So Joey believes in it, too?" he asked with a glance towards the kids' room. He could understand a little kid believing in it, but he was still shocked that Kahlan did.

Kahlan licked her lips. "She's seen a couple things. You'd have to ask her; but don't do it in front of the boys."

XXX

After ruling out the haunted tour, they all decided to go to the Tower of London. Dave and Cindi joined them and after a quick taxi ride they spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening exploring the famous tower.

As they were exploring the grounds, Joey found the ravens. She was fascinated by the seven birds. The Raven Master was telling all of the visitors about the ravens, and he explained that legend has it that if six ravens ever left the Tower that the tower and the Kingdom would fall. While everyone was listening to the Raven Master, Joey kept inching closer and closer to one on a bench. She talked to it and it made strange grunting noises as it talked to her. Some of the other visiting children tried to talk to the other ravens, but they ignored the kids. The Raven Master then went on to tell the crowd that the ravens only let him near them and they only responded to him. Joey looked at him defiantly, and moved even closer as his attention was focused on the gaggle of children asking a bunch of questions.

Hotch and Kahlan both saw what Joey was doing and Hotch winced as Joey got within a couple of feet of the large bird. "You need to stay back, Angel," Hotch told her quietly not wanting to draw the Raven Master's attention.

"She's fine," Kahlan assured him as she smiled at the bird talking to her daughter.

"Those damn things can be mean," Hotch told her as he inched closer to his little girl.

Suddenly, the raven jumped from his perch on a bench and landed on Joey's shoulder. The crowds' gasps made the Raven Master turn, and he looked about ready to have a heart attack as Joey giggled and reached up to pet the raven's back. Hotch froze and Kahlan grinned, but the Raven Master walked to Joey quickly. "Don't move," he told Joey as he got closer.

The raven cawed at him loudly, and the man froze. "George, that little girl does not want you on her shoulder!" he told the raven.

"I don't mind," Joey told him with a smile.

The raven nuzzled Joey's hair away from her neck and ducked in behind it hiding his face. Joey giggled.

"Well, I never!" the Raven Master exclaimed as he laughed. "George doesn't even really like me!"

Several of the kids laughed as George turned around and looked at the Raven Master. The raven then put his beak up against Joey's cheek effectively giving her a kiss. Kahlan laughed and Hotch cringed and hoped that it didn't bite her. "He likes me," Joey told him with a smile.

"Here, see if he'll eat out of your hand," he told her as he held out some seeds.

Joey took them and held them up to George, but he cawed and pushed her hand away with his beak. "He doesn't like them," Joey insisted as she threw the seeds down. The other ravens came over and started eating them.

"Aren't ravens meat eaters?" Kahlan asked him.

"They're omnivores," Wyatt told her.

"Here, Joe, see if he likes this," Jack told her as he crumbled up a cookie in his hand and then gave her the crumbs.

She held them up to George and he ate them greedily. Joey giggled.

"A bird with a sweet tooth," Hotch said as he shook his head. "Leave it to Joey."

"What was that?" the Raven Master asked Jack.

"A maple cookie."

The raven Master laughed. "That's why you're always trying to get in the squirrel feeders," he told George. George let out a sort of bark and kissed Joey again. Joey giggled.

"And, no, Bella, you are not allowed to keep him," Dave told her with a smile.

"I wouldn't take him from his friends, Poppi," Joey assured him.

Jack crushed up another cookie and threw it on the ground for all of the other ravens.

George looked at Joey and then looked at the ground. Joey giggled. "You can go down there," she told him as she put her hand up to him. He stepped into her hand and wrapped his talons around three of her fingers. She gave him a kiss on his head and moved him to the ground. He hopped off of her hand and joined his friends. Joey beamed.

"I'll make sure to put some maple syrup on his food every day," the Raven Master assured Joey. Joey looked at him expectantly. "And a cookie once in a while, too," he added with a smile.

"Hear that, George?" Joey asked him and he cawed at her which made everyone laugh. "See you later, George. It was nice to meet you," Joey told him as she squatted down in front of him. He hopped a few times and then cawed at her again. She laughed and stood up and went and grabbed her father's hand.

"Let's go inside," Wyatt said and then led the way.

XXX

The boys joked as they made their way down into the Tower's dungeon. Hotch held Joey's hand and Kahlan brought up the rear on the narrow steps. Dave and Cindi chose to look around in the gift shop.

Hotch shook his head as Joey went around and explained to the boys what each medieval torture device was. All of the kids joked about who and what kind of people had been tortured in the tower. Wyatt went on to explain about some of the famous prisoners the tower had housed. Hotch looked over to Kahlan who was standing off to the side silently. He went up behind her and kissed her neck. "What are you thinking about?" he asked her quietly.

"Nothing," she told him as she shook her head.

"What's this one used for, Mommy?" Joey asked as she pointed to one of the big apparatuses.

Hotch thought he saw a ghost of a wince cross her face as she glanced at it. _No! _

"Traditionally it was used for quartering," Kahlan told her dryly.

Hotch watched her as she bit her lip and turned away from the wooden monstrosity. _Really, Babe? Exactly what is it used for today?_

"What's quartering?" Jack asked.

"Where they tear off your limbs," Joey told him with an evil smile.

"You would know that," Jack told her as he shook his head.

"Drawn and quartered is where they tie your limbs to horses and they pull you apart," Wyatt explained as he made his way around the room.

Kahlan chuckled as several mothers quickly pulled their children away from Wyatt and Joey.

"Come on," Hotch told them as he grabbed Kahlan's hand. "Let's get back to the surface and go find some place to eat."

The kids all agreed excitedly and ran up the stairs in front of their parents.

As they made their way down the street, Hotch glanced back and looked for their SIS companions. "They must have finally realized we aren't a danger," Hotch told Kahlan.

She chuckled. "Nah. They've just had a shift change." Hotch turned back and studied everyone behind them. "In the van across the street," she told him as they kept walking.

He saw the van and shook his head. "And how did you know?" The van didn't have any side windows and there wasn't anyone in the front seats. He didn't doubt her; he just wanted to know what gave it away because he didn't see anything out of the ordinary with it.

"The yellow and black sticker in the corner of the windshield is what allows it in and out of the MI6 garage."

He looked at the sticker. He could hardly tell what color it was from their distance. He shook his head. _She must have seen it as soon as we came out of the tower._ Sure, enough, though, the van started its way slowly down the street towards them. He huffed.

After another block, they found a nice restaurant and they went in and ate dinner.

Kahlan leaned over and whispered into Hotch's ear. "We can let Mom and Dave take the kids back, and I can show you around the city."

He smiled and looked at her. "Yeah?"

She smiled and asked everyone if it would be alright. They all agreed, and after finishing eating. Kahlan got up to go speak to the waiter. Hotch watched her questioningly.

"What is she up to?" Dave asked him.

"I have no idea," Hotch told him honestly.

After a few minutes, she came back with a smile. "What?" she asked as they all looked at her.

"What did you do?" Dave asked her.

She giggled. "I can't take Aaron on a nice tour of the city with those idiots following us."

Hotch looked back toward where the waiter had been and then looked back at his wife. "Let me guess, you are having dinner delivered to the van." The kids laughed.

"Yep, and as soon as it goes out, we will slip out the back," she told him with a devious grin.

He chuckled and took another drink of his wine.

When the meal was ready, the waiter came up to let Kahlan know it was time. Hotch and Kahlan kissed the kids and bid everyone goodnight. She then led him through the restaurant's kitchen and out the back door. They emerged in an alley and Kahlan pulled Hotch along it and then turned down a side road. Within no time, they were back out on one of the main throughways.

"So where are you taking me?" Hotch asked as they walked hand in hand.

"You'll see," she told him with a grin.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Kahlan smiled as Big Ben's gongs announced the new hour. "Come on," she told him and pulled him up and toward the clock.

"What? The tower isn't open to the public," he told her as she pulled him closer to it.

She smiled. "We're not part of the public if I know the guy working."

He chuckled and let her lead him around the tower and to the side. She went up and knocked on the side of the tower as he looked at her questioningly. She laughed at the surprise on his face as part of the wall opened to reveal a nicely hidden door.

An old man swallowed her in a hug as soon as the door was open all the way. "Kay! I can't believe you're actually here!"

"It's good to see you again, Nigel," Kahlan told him as he finally let her go. "This is my husband, Aaron."

Nigel stuck out his hand. "Must be one hell of a man to tame you," he told her with a smile.

Hotch shook his hand as he smiled. "Like that could ever happen."

Nigel laughed. "I like him."

Kahlan laughed, too. "So do I," she told him seriously.

"Let me guess, you want to go to the top," Nigel told her as he pulled her inside.

"Of course I do," she laughed as she pulled Hotch in and Nigel shut the door. "You know I can't leave London until I do."

"You know the way," he told her with a smile as he gestured to the stairs across the room. She smiled and started for them. "Just make sure you stop and say goodbye before you leave!" he called after them.

"You know it," she called back and then took Hotch to the top. She smiled at Hotch's look as he looked around at the city lights. "This is my favorite spot at night, but we won't want to be up here when the next hour strikes."

He chuckled. He could imagine how loud the big bell was up close and personal. He pulled her back to his chest and wrapped his arms around her. "This is beautiful."

"Yeah," she told him and sighed contently as she savored the closeness.

"How do you know Nigel?"

She chuckled. "He was an agent I met on my first trip here. He took me under his wing and taught me about the city and such."

"MI6?"

She shook her head and pulled away from him to pull him to the other side so they could look down the river. "He was a true double-o."

Hotch choked on his own breath and turned her around to look at him. "You're serious?"

She giggled. "Yep. You should hear some of his stories," she told him and nestled herself back up against his chest. "This was one of the reasons I wanted to lose our tail. He could get in trouble if they knew he let us in."

"How did he go from being in Her Majesty's Service to care taker of a clock tower?"

She giggled again. "Don't let the façade fool you. It's a lot more than a clock tower," she told him cryptically.

"Care to elaborate on that?"

She giggled some more. "We'll have to see who is here, but maybe Nigel will let us go below. It'll blow your mind." She turned to look him in the face. "You have seen the 007 movies, right?"

"Some of them."

She laughed. "Do you know who 'Q' is?"

"That's the guy with the gadgets, isn't it?"

"Yep," is all she said and turned back around.

He shook his head. _And now I'm beginning to understand why you like this place so much._

After about twenty minutes, they made their way back down to the ground level. Nigel was waiting at the bottom of the stairs and he smiled at her. "You want to stay?"

She nodded as she smiled. "So how are the wife and kids?" she asked him as she put her hand in the crock of his elbow.

"Good. I've got six grandkids now," he told her proudly as he led the way into the tower further.

"Six? I bet they love listening to Grandpa's stories."

He laughed. "Two of 'em do. I think they might just be a chip off the 'ol block."

"I bet," she told him as she grabbed Hotch's hand and pulled him up with them. "Aaron and I have three kids."

"Our youngest, Joey, is just like her mother," Hotch told him with a grin.

Nigel nodded and then looked at Kahlan. "I bet she's a handful."

Hotch laughed. "You have no idea."

Nigel stopped in front of a very high tech door that was completely out of place in the old clock tower. "I assume you want to go down?" he asked Kahlan and then glanced at Hotch.

"Don't worry, Nigel. Aaron knows how to keep a secret."

He eyed Hotch warily and then finally nodded. "He'd have to with you for a wife, wouldn't he?"

Hotch laughed and Kahlan smacked him in the gut which made Nigel laugh, too. He punched in a code and the door opened. "Mickey's down there."

"What?" Kahlan asked with surprise. "I thought he got out."

"Retirement doesn't work with our type, you should know that," he told her as he led the way down several flights of stairs.

There were several doors leading off the stairwell at each landing and Hotch tried to see what was down them without looking too obvious, but he didn't see much. After going down what he guessed was four stories, Nigel opened another door to the right. Hotch eyed the vault-like door as he passed into the hallway, and he figured whatever was in that hallway was very important. He chuckled as a wheeled robot made its way down the hall towards them. Nigel froze with his hand out in front of Hotch and Kahlan, so they froze, too.

"Nigel, 1138," Nigel told the robot quickly.

The flashing red and yellow lights on its head turned green. "Thank you," it told him in feminine voice and turned around and rolled away from them.

"Stupid bloody things! Give me an armed guard any day," Nigel exclaimed as he started down the hall again.

"What would have happen if you weren't with us?" Hotch asked as he watched the robot turn a corner further down the hall.

"Damn thing would have shot you. It uses voice recognition as well as the code I gave it. Almost got myself shot one day I had a bloody cold, though," he told them as he shook his head. Kahlan shot a grin to Hotch. "I don't care how smart they say they are; artificial intelligence is just that, artificial, compared to a good man." He quickly looked at Kahlan. "Or woman, of course."

Kahlan laughed. "I agree."

"In my experience with new technology, there is always someone who knows how to hack it within moments of it being made," Hotch told him as he followed him down the hall.

Nigel laughed. "And probably by some kid," he agreed and then opened another door that led into a huge room. "I think Mickey's in the back. He was working on some new tool or something," he told them as he gestured into the room. "I've got to go take care of a few things. Mickey will let me know when you are done," he told them and then shut the door.

"Come on," Kahlan told him as she pulled him into the room with a grin. "Mickey is the real life 'Q', and one of the smartest people I have ever met."

Hotch raised his brows. _Damn, he must be smart if you're impressed. _As Kahlan led him down the aisle, Hotch was busy trying to see everything around him. He noticed a material hanging up and several guns on a table in front of it, and he had to hide a smile as he was sure it was the material that Kahlan had dubbed 'dragon skin'. _ I guess Chuck's buddies weren't the only ones to hack the research._ He leaned close to his wife. "So do you all have a room like this where ever you all are based out of?"

She giggled. He had never asked her where her headquarters were. "Yep, but the British have always had the cooler toys."

"That's because we have better funding," an older man told her as he turned around. He got a massive grin on his face and Kahlan went up and hugged him. "I heard you were in town," he told her as he hugged her back.

She finally pulled away from him and turned to Hotch. "Mickey, this is my husband, Aaron. Aaron, this is Mickey, England's top equipment researcher and developer."

Hotch stepped forward and shook the man's hand. "Nice to meet you." He was probably a few years older than Kahlan as his blond hair was turning gray, but his light blue eyes showed the intelligence behind them. He had glasses that were hanging around his neck, and Hotch figured that was due to age, and his hands were callused showing years of working with them.

Mickey eyed him warily as he looked Hotch up and down. Hotch started to feel uneasy at the scrutiny, but the man finally smiled. "Any man who could get her to settle down is a friend in my book."

Hotch laughed and Kahlan rolled her eyes.

She finally went up to the table Mickey was working at. "What kind of awesome stuff are you working on now?"

He laughed. "Something right up your alley," he started as he picked up an object. "You still good with a blade?"

Hotch stepped closer to get a better look at what was in Mickey's hand. It looked like a fat throwing knife.

"I'm decent." Hotch snorted, and she chose to ignore him, but Mickey looked at him knowingly and nodded. "Why? What is that?" Kahlan asked as she held out her hand.

Mickey gave it to her and then pointed at the wall about twenty feet away from them. "Think you could hit that target?"

Kahlan smiled as she tossed the object up in her hand and caught it again. "It is balanced really well." Mickey raised his brows as if to challenge her to hit the target with it. She smiled deviously and stepped toward the wall. With one swift throw, it stuck in the bull's-eye. Before she could ask what made it so special, it exploded.

Kahlan and Hotch both ducked instinctively, and Mickey laughed. Hotch looked at the cinderblock wall; it had a two foot hole ripped into it. He shook his head as Kahlan laughed. "Precision bombs. That's cool as shit, Mickey."

Mickey smiled and then picked up another one; it was a little longer and thinner than the first one. "This one is full of a knockout gas." He then picked up a little one. "This one is a tracker or a painter." With Hotch's confused look he explained. "It paints a target for air strikes or such." Hotch raised his brows in shock as he nodded his understanding.

"And what does that one do?" Kahlan asked as she pointed to the last one on the table.

He smiled proudly as he picked it up. "This one is my own design," he started as he led the way to another wall. "Hit that electrical box," he told Kahlan as he handed it to her.

She looked at him questioningly but did as instructed. Within seconds of hitting the box, sparks flashed and the lights hooked up to the box went out. Kahlan giggled. "Even cooler."

"Making them throwable allows for greater access," Mickey explained.

"I would imagine it saves time in a jam, too," Hotch mused.

"Oh yeah. If that box was my target and several people were in front of it, I'd have to fight my way to it normally," Kahlan agreed.

Mickey sighed. "The agents now, though, don't see the benefit in them." He shook his head. "They want more technology."

"Technology is great when it works," Hotch injected dryly.

"And sometimes it just isn't practical," Mickey agreed.

"That and I couldn't kill someone by throwing a device that disrupts the electrical current in a wall. I bet that damn thing would," Kahlan told him with a smile.

"Yeah, especially when it sent out its charge," Hotch told her with a chuckle.

Kahlan winced as she thought about it and Mickey laughed. "Here," he told her as he went back to the table and picked up a small black box. "You can have a set."

"No," Kahlan said as she shook her head. "I couldn't do that."

"Yes you can," he told her as he pushed them to her; she accepted them with a grin. He looked at Hotch. "You're in the business, but you're not like her, are you?"

Hotch chuckled. "No."

Mickey nodded as he looked around. He smiled and looked back at Hotch. "You're not CIA."

Hotch quickly shook his head. "No."

Mickey studied him some more. "FBI then."

Kahlan laughed. "Unit Chief of a BAU," she told him proudly.

Mickey raised his brows in shock. "Nice," he said as he walked away from them.

Hotch looked at Kahlan questioningly but she shrugged letting him know she had no idea what Mickey was doing.

He came back with a small box. Kahlan eyed it warily. "What's that?" she asked him.

He smiled. "The latest in watches," he told her as he opened it to reveal a beautiful, white metal, man's watch. He held it out to Hotch.

Hotch didn't reach for it, though. "Since it's down here, I can surmise that it doesn't just tell time."

Mickey laughed. "There's an owner manual in the box."

Kahlan took it and looked at it. "Give us the gist."

Mickey smiled again. "Let's see, it can disrupt cell service for thirty feet. It can place and receive satellite calls. It can scan images and send them wirelessly. It can. . ."

"Jesus Christ," Hotch exclaimed.

Kahlan laughed. "Are you sure it can tell time?"

Mickey laughed. "Yes. It is also a last resort small explosive."

Kahlan smiled. "Like if you needed to bust a lock on a heavy door?" she asked him with a quick glance at Hotch. Hotch winced as he knew she was referring to the door Damian had put him behind that he couldn't get out of.

"Oh yeah," Mickey chuckled. "It would do that."

Hotch shook his head. "I can't accept that."

"Sure you can. You'll be the only American with one, and when everyone asks you where you got it, you can smile and say a friend gave it to you."

"How sturdy is it? What is it made out of?" Kahlan asked as she shut the box.

"It's a pallidum alloy. One of the strongest alloys made today," Mickey told her proudly. He then reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a key. "You can have this, too," he told Hotch as he held it out.

Hotch took it knowing there wasn't going to be any way to talk him out of the gifts, and he didn't want to offend him. Hotch ran his fingers along the key and realized it was hundreds of little pieces of metal instead of one solid piece. "What's this do?"

Mickey gestured to the door a few rows over. It had several locks in it. "It will open any lock."

Hotch smiled and made his way to the door.

"Insert it slowly and then slowly turn it. The movable pistons will take the shape of the tumblers and allow the lock to open," Mickey instructed.

Hotch tried it on several of the locks and smiled at the ease in which they opened.

"That's not fair," Kahlan told Mickey with a laugh. "We used to have to learn to pick locks."

Mickey shook his head. "It won't work on really small ones or really big ones, but it'll come in handy if you ever find yourself in a jam."

Hotch laughed. "And yet, it looks like a normal key unless you look at it closely," he told Kahlan as he walked back over to them.

"Yep. You can put it on a regular key ring and nobody will be the wiser," Mickey told him proudly. "You could pick a lock in front of a Bobbie and he'd think you actually had the key." Hotch's look of disgust told Mickey that he would never even consider such a thing, and Mickey laughed. He put his arm around Kahlan and looked at Hotch. "You should come to the pub for a pint or two. The stories I could tell you about this one," he told him as he shook his head slowly. Kahlan shot him a look.

Hotch chuckled. "That sounds great."

"Think Nigel would go with us?" Kahlan asked as Mickey led them toward the door.

"I don't see why not," he told her as he opened the door. The robot quickly approached them, but Mickey quickly subdued it with a remote. "Bloody piece of shit!"

"That's not very secure if you can stop it with a remote. What if the remote got into the wrong hands?" Hotch asked as they made their way past the frozen robot.

Mickey laughed. "I made that and it's the only one." He laughed a strong belly laugh. "Damn techs can never figure out why the damn thing just stops like that."

Kahlan and Hotch shared a look and laughed.

By the time they got back to the surface, Nigel was waiting with his coat in his hand. "Did someone say pint?"

They all laughed and walked to a pub of Nigel's choosing. As soon as they received their first beers, Nigel fixed Hotch with a look. Before he could open his mouth Kahlan spoke up. "This is not going to be a 'tell all of Kahlan's secrets' session."

Nigel looked wounded. "Of course not."

"No, this is going to be a 'tell all of Kay's embarrassing stories' session," Mickey clarified.

Hotch chuckled and took a drink of his beer. Kahlan rolled her eyes and sunk into her seat a little which made Nigel and Mickey laugh even more.

"Would you believe that this one," Nigel started as he hooked a thumb towards Kahlan. "Was brave enough to actually break into the palace?"

Hotch half choked on his beer. "Buckingham Palace? Seriously, Babe?"

Kahlan cut her eyes to the side and shook her head.

"And whose fault was that?" Mickey asked him with a look.

"I can't help it if she was naive enough to believe me," Nigel defended himself. "I didn't actually think she would actually go through with it."

Hotch looked back and forth between the two men expecting one of them to elaborate.

Nigel laughed. "It was her first trip here and I was saddled with the wild, young, American phenom. The stories that came to us described someone who couldn't possibly be as good as they thought, so I decided to test her." Kahlan shot him a look, and he laughed again. "I told her that the information she was seeking was hidden in the palace and that she'd have to get in there to get it." He paused to take a drink and chuckle. "She broke in, got into one of the most guarded rooms, and stole what she thought was her information."

"And I got out without being caught," Kahlan told him defiantly.

"What was the information?" Hotch asked as he studied Nigel.

Mickey laughed. "Part of the Queen's personal itinerary. She would have been shot had she been caught with it."

Hotch almost choked on his own breath. "Jesus, Babe."

Kahlan shook her head again. "Yeah, because they would never had believed me if I told them one of their own high ranking agents told me to do it."

"I never thought you'd get that far let alone actually get it and get out. I figured you'd get caught trying to get in and that would put a dent in that bloody American pride," Nigel admitted.

"Did you tell her the truth once you figured out what she had done?" Hotch asked him.

"I had to didn't I? I had to get the information back to its proper place before someone found out," Nigel defended himself.

"And he got caught," Mickey told Hotch with a loud laugh.

Hotch shook his head.

"I guess you should have had her take it back," Mickey told him.

"Yeah right! After I found out, I was so embarrassed that I wasn't going anywhere near that place again," Kahlan told them seriously.

"So did it make her pride worse?" Hotch asked as he looked at Kahlan. He would never have thought she was ever prideful, but he knew she was young at the time.

"What? No, you misunderstood. It wasn't her; it was her bloody boss that talked her up so much. He kept saying that she was better than everyone else on his team and that with a little more training she'd be better than any of us, too," Nigel told him as he shook his head and then smiled at Kahlan.

"I never told him what I did, though," Kahlan defended herself.

"What can I say?" he asked as he held up his mug to her. "He was right."

Kahlan snorted and shook her head. "I was just lucky."

Nigel and Mickey both gave her knowing looks. "Of course you were," Nigel told her as he still held up his mug.

Kahlan finally smiled and picked hers up and clinked hers with his. "I had great teachers."

After a couple more hours and plenty of entertaining stories, Kahlan kissed and hugged her friends goodbye. Hotch shook their hands and thanked them for the great evening. The couple made their way back to their hotel.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Hotch's nostrils flared as he started to wake up. He sniffed the air as his head moved slightly signaling that he was on the road to waking. He smiled as he opened his eyes to find Kahlan waving a piece of bacon under his nose. She giggled. "I thought that would wake you up," she told him as he took the bacon and took a bite. He sat up a little and smiled again at the tray of food sitting on the bed beside Kahlan. "Happy Birthday, Hun," she told him as she leaned over and gave him a kiss.

He grabbed her and turned the everyday kiss into one full of passion. Once she pulled away he moaned at the loss of contact.

"Behave yourself. The kids could come in at any moment," she told him as she sat up and moved the tray towards him.

"You could lock the door," he suggested with a wink as he sat up.

"No. They want to wish you happy birthday, too," she told him as she handed him a cup of coffee.

He pouted and took a drink. "Maybe later then?" he asked hopefully.

She giggled her secret giggle and his eyes lit up. "Maybe," she told him with a grin and then got up.

He chuckled as the door to the kids' room opened. Kahlan turned back and grabbed his coffee out of his hand just in time as Joey leapt from the doorway to pounce on him. "Happy Birthday, Daddy!" she yelled as she landed and then went up and gave him a big kiss.

"Thanks, Angel," he told her as she stole a piece of his toast. He laughed at that but when she tried to get a piece of bacon his stare emerged and she froze. "I don't think so!" he half growled.

She giggled and Kahlan grabbed her off the bed. "You've already had your breakfast," she told her daughter as she tickled her ribs. Joey laughed as she squirmed out of her mother's arms.

Wyatt and Jack came in, and Jack went up to him first. Hotch stood up and Jack pulled him into a hug. "Happy Birthday, Dad."

"Thanks, Buddy," Hotch told him as he moved to let Wyatt in.

Wyatt smiled and wrapped his arms around him. "Happy Birthday to the best Dad in the world."

Hotch chuckled as Wyatt pulled back and smiled again. Jack and Joey joined Wyatt and they all stared at him with grins. "What?" Hotch asked uncomfortably.

Jack nudged Joey on the shoulder and she pulled an envelope out of the back of her waistline. "Here, Daddy. It's from all of us," she told him as she walked up to him and handed it to him.

"It's not another hunt is it?" he asked them with a grin.

"No, but you'll like what's at the end of that journey," Jack told him seriously.

Hotch eyed him warily and then opened the envelope. His eyes got big as he read it. It was an appointment for later that day at a shop on Savile Row to get a custom suit made. Savile Row is famous for their bespoke tailoring. He smiled and then opened his arms and invited all three of them into a hug. "This is awesome, guys. Thank you."

"You'll be the best dressed agent at work," Joey assured him.

Wyatt laughed. "He already is."

"Maybe you should save it for when you and Mom go out," Jack suggested.

"Don't worry. I'll take him someplace nice once he gets it so he can show it off," Kahlan told him with a grin.

"Once he gets it? Won't he get it today?" Joey asked her.

"No. They are going to make it for him and they'll ship it back home. It won't be ready by the time we have to go back," she explained and they could all tell Joey didn't like the idea of having to wait for a present.

Hotch chuckled and sat on the bed to eat his breakfast.

"Grandma and Grandpa said they'd take us to the Science Museum if that's alright with you guys," Jack told them.

"Go, have fun. You wouldn't want to go with us anyway. It will take a while and be extremely boring," Kahlan told them as she sat down beside her husband.

"Yay!" Joey yelled and then ran out to tell her grandparents.

"Text us when you guys are done," Hotch told the boys as they bid them goodbye.

Once the door was shut, he turned to Kahlan with a grin. She shook her head and laughed. "Eat your breakfast."

"I thought we were packing up and heading to the castle today?" he asked her around another piece of bacon.

"When the kids finally decided on what to get you, I called and moved the reservations a day," she told him from the bathroom.

He stuffed a piece of toast in his mouth and took a drink of coffee to help get it down as he heard the kids leaving in the hall. After swallowing several times, he quickly ate the last piece of bacon. "You know, we haven't had any real time alone yet."

She chuckled from the bathroom. "That's because we haven't actually been alone."

"We are now," he told her as he went up to the bathroom doorway. His breath hitched in his chest as he looked at her.

"I know," she told him seductively. She was wearing a blue, silk, floor length, negligee that matched her eyes perfectly. He looked her up and down and lost his ability to think, let alone speak. She giggled. "We don't have a lot of time before your appointment, but we have enough," she told him as she pushed him out of the bathroom and to the bed.

When the back of his knees met the bed he fell back and took her with him. She smiled as she laid on top of him. "Sorry I didn't let you open it, I didn't want to have to explain the present if someone found it," she told him and then kissed him slowly.

Once she pulled away, he smiled. "Modeling it is even better," he told her and rolled them over.

She giggled again. "Happy Birthday, Aaron, I love you."

"I love you, too," he told her and kissed her again.

XXX

After the wonderful morning, the Hotchner couple made their way to Savile Row. "How did the kids come up with this?"

"Well, they wanted to get you something truly English, so they did some research and found Savile Row."

He chuckled. "I've never had a custom suit." They walked by one place that boasted of having suited stars like Will smith and Russell Crowe. "Hey, we should go there," he told her with a grin.

She shook her head. "No. Anyone who has to drop names like that doesn't need our business. Besides, Anderson and Shephard have made suits for people more your style," she told him as she pulled him along.

"More my style? Are you saying I don't stack up against men like that?"

She could hear the disappointment in his voice and she gave him a smile. "Not at all, but Cary Grant, Gary Cooper, and Lawrence Olivier are definitely a cut above any new star in my book."

He grinned. "Cary Grant?" He knew she loved old movies.

"Yep."

"I remind you of Cary Grant?"

"Tall, dark, painfully handsome. . . Oh yeah," she told him and his dimples shown with his wide grin, and she giggled as she grabbed his hand.

XXX

After the tailor had measured and such, all Hotch had to do was pick out the material and color. When Kahlan saw him gravitate towards the end of the line of cloth, she shook her head. "You do not need another black or gray suit, Aaron."

Hotch chuckled. "You think I have enough of those, huh? But black is your favorite color."

"Yes it is," she told him as she ran a hand over the cloths. "But you need some color."

He looked at her defiantly. "I have plenty of color."

"I'm not talking about your shirts or ties. You need a colored suit," she told him with a smile.

"I have a couple blue ones, those count."

"And they are dark blue." She pulled out a steel blue bolt and showed it to him.

"You like that?" Hotch asked and she could tell by his tone that he wasn't sure if he did or not.

The tailor smiled at the couple. "With your complexion, eye and hair color, you would look dashing in a burgundy or teal," he suggested.

Kahlan looked at him with raised brows. "Burgundy?" she looked at Hotch. "That sounds sexy."

"It is dark burgundy," the tailor told him as he pulled the cloth out.

Kahlan ran a hand over it. "Ohhh, it's silky, too."

"But not shiny," the tailor quickly pointed out.

Hotch approached it with caution as if it would actually do him harm. He eyed it and then looked at his wife. "I do get complimented when I wear that burgundy shirt you bought me."

She smiled. "Come on, you would be the envy of every man at the Bureau."

"A black shirt and matching burgundy tie would complete it nicely," the tailor injected. "And make it even darker."

Kahlan smiled at him and Hotch knew she agreed. "But you could wear a white shirt, too. You have plenty of those."

Hotch ran a hand along his chin as he contemplated it. He looked at Kahlan and she smiled again. "Fine," he told them and finally smiled.

"Excellent choice," the tailor told him as he took the cloth into the back of the shop.

Kahlan laughed. "I can't wait to see you in it," she told him as she put her arms around his neck.

"Yeah?"

She flicked her brows. "And out of it of course."

He laughed. "You are so bad."

"I can't help it. With you as my man, my mind stays in the gutter."

He laughed some more as he shook his head.

XXX

They met up with the rest of the family and the kids begged them to go to the Eye of London, so they did. Hotch eyed the big, ferris wheel, type ride warily.

"They say you can see all of London from the top," Jack pointed out. Hotch swallowed hard.

"I'm not riding that!" Kahlan told them and all of them except her mother looked at her with surprise.

"But you love rides at Kings Dominion," Wyatt told her.

"Yeah, give me a roller coaster any day to something like that; that things moves too slow for me," Kahlan confessed sheepishly.

"Same here," Cindi quickly put in.

"Then I'll stay with the ladies," Hotch told the kids.

Dave shot him a look, and all the kids looked at him pleadingly. He smiled at them. "Let's go," he told them and started for the ride.

They cheered and followed him happily.

Hotch laughed as he watched them walked away and then turned to Kahlan. "So any other friends we can meet tonight?"

"Haven't you learned enough about me already on this trip?"

He laughed. "Not even close. I fell like there is still a whole lot more that I don't know," he told her as he put his arms around her waist.

"I told you in the beginning that you would learn everything if you stuck around long enough."

He chuckled. "Yeah, but I didn't know you meant years."

"Well, I hope you're around a lot longer," she told him with a smile.

"Even with forever, I somehow think I still wouldn't know everything."

She pulled away from him and started for the ride. "I want to get a couple pictures for Pen," she called back to him.

He studied her as she walked away. _There are some things you'll never tell me, isn't there, Babe?_

Cindi laughed and put her hand on his shoulder. "You should count yourself lucky, Aaron. You know more about her than her own family does."

He looked at her. "Oh I do. In fact, the mystery around her is one of the things that attracted me to her in the first place."

She smiled knowingly. "And I'm glad it did. You have been a wonderful addition to the family," she told him honestly.

He huffed. "You don't think I've brought too many problems?" He still privately felt responsible for everything bad that had happened to Kahlan since she had gotten with him even if no one else did.

She smiled kindly. "Life would be boring without a little adventure every now and then," she told him and then went to join her daughter.

He smiled as he watched her leave. _I still don't know what I have ever done to deserve all this._ He shook his head. _ I may never know, but I'm really glad!_

XXX

After a wonderful dinner and exploring the city some more, the whole family went back to the hotel with plans of getting up early and starting for the castle that would be their temporary home for the next week or so.

XXX

After packing up, Hotch and Dave loaded the SUV Dave had rented. Dave drove because he was the only one beside Kahlan who had ever driven in Europe. Hotch sat up front with him, and Kahlan and Cindi took the middle, and the kids took the back.

Everyone settled down for the over six hour ride that would take them into Scotland. Joey sat in the middle and clung tightly to her stuffed raven she had gotten at the Tower. She had named it George obviously. Wyatt sat on the left and listened to his iPod as he looked out the window, and Jack was busy playing a game on his phone.

After a few hours, they stopped and had lunch at a quaint little place. After a few other stops to check out the scenery and to just get out of the vehicle, they finally pulled onto the dirt road that led to the ancient looking castle. Kahlan and all of the kids sat forward in their seats as they approached. Hotch glanced at the kids and chuckled. Then he noticed Kahlan's eyes; they were sparkling with childlike wonder as she took in the huge castle wall looming ahead of them.

"Is there a moat?" Joey asked in excitement.

"Yep, and a drawbridge," Kahlan told her with smile.

"Coooool," Joey said with a grin at her mother.

Dave pulled up in the parking area. "Apparently we walk from here," he told them and shut the SUV off.

Hotch wasn't sure who had their door open quicker, Kahlan or the kids, but he chuckled at their enthusiasm. "It doesn't look like anyone else is here."

Kahlan shot him a grin. "It only allows so many guests at a time."

Hotch shot Dave a look and he could tell Dave thought the same thing: _She's bought the whole damn place out._

"There's a lake on the premises. I can teach you how to fish, Bella," Dave told Joey with a smile. Her face lit up and it made his heart melt a little.

"That would be awesome, Poppi!"

"I think it would be called a Loch here grandpa," Jack pointed out.

"I don't care what it's called. I haven't gone fishing in forever!" Wyatt told him as he grabbed his suitcase out of the back of the SUV.

"There are plenty of activities for everyone. I don't think any of us will have a chance to get bored," Kahlan pointed out as she grabbed her bag.

"Will they let us explore the whole castle, Mommy?" Joey asked as she put her backpack on.

"They better," Kahlan told her with a grin.

Hotch laughed. _Either way, they'll both do it._

After they got their luggage, they made their way toward the castle wall. Hotch smiled at Kahlan and Joey trying to take everything in. A couple men dressed in period clothing greeted them. The younger man quickly started taking their luggage from them and put it on a cart.

"Welcome to MacLauchlan Castle," the older man said with a bow. "My name is Sean and this is my son Coll. If my Lords and Ladies would care to continue into the ward, we will see to it that you belongings get to their proper rooms," he told them as he held a hand toward the courtyard within the castle wall. "And, of course, the lads and lass are most welcomed, too," he added with a smile to the kids.

Joey giggled and grabbed her father's hand, and they all set their stuff down and followed the gentleman across the drawbridge.

Wyatt slapped jack on the shoulder. "I think the moat is an actual pool," he told him quietly as they looked down at the sparkling water.

"It is. There're even a couple slides on the east side of the castle," the younger man told him with a smile.

All of the kids smiled at that.

Joey tugged on Hotch's pant leg and when Hotch looked down at her she smiled and pointed up as they passed through the gate. Hotch shook his head at the massive iron gate suspended above them. _That could kill someone if it fell._ He was starting to understand why Kahlan had picked that castle. _It's like we've stepped back in time._

Joey sucked in her breath as they made their way into the courtyard. A beautiful falcon was sitting on a perch and a horse was grazing on the lush grass. Kahlan looked back at her daughter. "I told you there would be animals."

"The lass likes beasts, huh?" the older man said with a smile and then held his fingers to his mouth and let out a loud whistle. Four dogs came running around one of the little buildings in the courtyard.

Joey laughed, let go of Hotch's hand, and then ran up to the dogs. They all quickly started licking her and bouncing around enjoying the attention.

"Ok, I get the Scottish Terriers, but why are there Irish Wolf Hounds?" Wyatt asked as he watched Joey rolling on the ground with the dogs.

"The lad offends me," the older man told Hotch. "Those are no Irish Wolf Hounds but Scottish Deerhounds!"

Hotch quickly slapped Wyatt in the back of the head, but not hard enough to actually hurt him. "Sorry," Wyatt apologized quickly.

"They are darker than the Wolf Hound, Wyatt," Jack pointed out and Kahlan laughed.

The older man gestured toward the huge, ornate, arched wood door. "If you would be so kind as to follow me into the keep."

Everyone started to follow him except Hotch, he stayed watching his daughter. The man noticed Hotch's hesitation and gave him a warm smile. "I can assure you, Ma'Lord, that there isn't any place safer."

Hotch eyed him warily, but Kahlan grabbed is hand. "Come on, she's fine," she told him with a smile and pulled him toward the entrance.

Hotch reluctantly followed as he kept Joey in his peripheral view. Just then, Joey untangled herself from the dogs and walked up to the falcon slowly; talking to it softly. A young boy ran up to her with a smile. He picked up the falcon with a gloved hand and started talking to Joey. Hotch smiled and finally allowed himself to be taken into the castle.

As he looked around, he was shocked. When Kahlan had told him the castle was a hotel, he expected everything to have been remodeled, but the inside of the castle was just as authentic as the outside. While he could tell it had been modernized, it was done in such a way that it didn't disturb the original look of the castle at all.

An older woman came into the foyer with a warm smile. The man put his arm around her lovingly. "This is my wife, Annabel. She is the master of the castle."

She blushed slightly and pulled away from him to shake Kahlan's hand. "It's Annie, please. Welcome to our home. These will share some of the castle's history," she started as she handed out pamphlets to them. "And let you all know what we offer for your staying pleasure." Once she was finished, she smiled again. "You all must be exhausted and famished after your long journey. Sean will show you to your rooms, and I will start the staff on the evening meal."

Kahlan smiled at her. "Thank you. I'm sure we will enjoy our stay."

Annie looked at the group. "I thought there was going to be a young lass joining you?"

Sean laughed. "She's outside with Angus. I think he is showing her all of the beasts."

The woman smiled. "Angus is our youngest, and he has a way with the animals."

"Then he'll get along great with Joey," Dave told her as he smiled.

"Well then, off you go. Get settled and refreshed. Come down whenever you are ready," Annie told them and Sean led the way further into the castle.

He pointed out the different rooms as they went along, and eventually led them to a massive stone stairwell. Once they were on the higher level, he led them down the hallway to the left. He stopped by the first door and opened it to reveal several rooms connecting to a central room. Hotch inwardly moaned. He was hoping that he and Kahlan would have a little more privacy.

"This shall be the lads and lass's room," Sean told him and they saw Coll putting the kids' bags down in the main room.

_How the hell did he get in there without passing us? _Hotch wondered as the boys made their way into the room. The boys smiled back at their parents to let them know they approved.

Next, Sean took them down the hall to the far end and opened a door to reveal another set of rooms. "This will be for the Lord and the Lady," he told them as he looked at Dave and Cindi.

"Nice," Dave said as he grabbed Cindi's hand and pulled her in.

"And your room," Sean told the couple. "Is back this way." He led the way back down the hallway and stopped at a massive door in the middle of the hall. "We hope you find the accommodations to your liking," he told them with a smile as he opened the door.

_Jesus!_ Hotch thought as he looked in the door. Kahlan smiled at him and then motioned for him to go in first.


	8. Chapter 8

*Adult content below. You knew it had to happen sooner or later, didn't you?

**Chapter 8**

Hotch walked into the suite and his jaw dropped for a second, but he quickly recovered before Kahlan could see how shocked he was. He shook his head as he looked around at the rooms that were going to be just his and his wife's. He smiled. With as far away the rest of the family's doors were, he didn't think the rooms actually connected to theirs. _I guess with walls made out of stone it really wouldn't matter anyway. _When the door shut, he finally looked at Kahlan and she laughed at his expression. "Haven't stayed in a five star hotel before?"

He chuckled. "I've stayed in a few nice places but nothing this over the top."

She went to him and put her arms around his neck. "You deserve every bit of it, so enjoy it," she told him as she leaned up and gave him a passionate kiss. When she had to pull away for air, she smiled and went further into the room.

"This is all ours?" he asked as he followed her through the big first room into the bedroom. The oversized king bed looked like it belonged to the original master of the castle. He shook his head again as he looked at the bathroom through the opened door. The tub looked more like a small personal pool than any tub he had ever seen.

"Too much?" she asked with a smile. She sat down on the bed and fell back onto her back. "Wow."

"Comfy?" he asked with a smile as he walked up beside her.

"You tell me?" she asked as she pulled him down beside her.

"Oh yeah," he told her with a grin. She looked past him and a confused look overtook her features. He looked behind him quickly. "Where does that go?" he asked as he noticed a stone stairwell, leading up, cut into the middle of the wall.

She smiled. "Let's go find out," she told him as she pulled him up. "Maybe it's a secret passage way to the rest of the castle.

"Not very secret if it's just open like that," he told her as he went up first.

"Maybe there used to be a bookcase or something in front of it," she suggested as she followed him holding his hand.

He laughed. "Only you and Joey would think that." The stairs led up to a door and he opened it cautiously. He chuckled when he realized it led to the outside, and he shook his head again when he realized their room was under one the keep's turrets. The place that was probably used as a lookout point in the beginning now housed a large hot tub.

"Wow," Kahlan said again as she looked at the steaming hot tub. "We'll definitely have to try that," she told him with a sly smile.

Hotch turned and looked around. The only thing higher was a tower that was dark, so he didn't think anyone could see them up there, especially with the tower walls. Then he noticed the view. "Wow, is right. Look how beautiful it is," he told her as he pulled her back to his chest and embraced her from behind. They stared out at the green hills and forest for several moments. She sighed contently and then shivered in the cold wind and he wrapped his arms around her more tightly.

"I can see how scenery like that inspired tales of King Arthur and Robin Hood," Kahlan told him wistfully.

"Yeah. You and Joey with your love of British literature are right at home here." He chuckled. "You do know she wants to learn how to shoot a bow, right?"

Kahlan laughed. "Yep. I told her I'd show her."

He turned her to look her in the face. He studied her for a second and then shook his head. "Of course you know how to do it."

She laughed and then pulled him back down to their room. She chuckled when she found their bags on a bench in front of the door. "Let's unpack before dinner." She took her small bag into the bathroom. "Damn, I think this shower is big enough for ten people."

Hotch walked in and looked at it. It was made out of stone and had several shower heads around it and had a glass door. "I think this bathroom is bigger than our bedroom back home."

She nodded. "Yeah. I'd hate to have to clean it," she told him as she put her brush and things on the sink.

He went up behind her, nuzzled her hair out of the way, and kissed her neck. She moaned and leaned her head away from him to allow him more access. He grinned at her willingness. "Did you see the fireplace?"

She craned her head to look at him. "No. Nice, huh?"

He grabbed her hand and pulled her though the bedroom to the adjoining room. The stone fireplace took up most of one wall and a massive bear rug was on the floor in front of it. A couch and a couple chairs faced the fireplace. "I can see you sitting in one of those chairs enjoying a book in front of a raging fire."

"I didn't bring any with me. I thought we were supposed to be spending time together."

"I'm sure you could find something here." He knew from the brochure that the castle had a massive library. "Besides, I can entertain the kids for at least one evening so you can lose yourself in a book. I know how much you love doing that. What better place to read about the Middle Ages than in a castle?"

She smiled as she considered it. "We'll see," she told him and went back to the bedroom to finish unpacking.

He looked back at the fireplace and smiled. He grabbed some of the logs next to it and started a fire. The room was cool, but warmth wasn't exactly why he started it. He wanted it burning nicely by the time they were done with dinner. Once he was done and the fire was going, he joined her in the bedroom and realized she had all of their clothes already put away. He went over to her and pulled her into a hug. "Maybe you should take a shower to relax before dinner," he told her with a smile that showed his dimples.

"Yeah? You going to scrub my back?"

He chuckled. "And maybe a few other things," he told her and pulled her into the bathroom.

After a shower that consisted of a lot of making out, he grabbed one of the fluffy robes and held it out for Kahlan to put it on. He put on a matching one and then followed her into the main room. He found her staring out of one of the windows in the fireplace room. He put his arms around her. "It's so peaceful here," he told her as hugged her tightly.

"Can you imagine what it was like when this castle was built?"

He smiled because he knew she was doing just that. "With a queen like you, the peasants would have been happy."

"Queen?" she laughed. "And would you be my king or my champion?" she asked as she turned to look at him.

"Both," he told her with another smile.

"Think you could give Lancelot and Gawain a run for their money?"

He laughed. "I'd even fight a dragon for you," he told her as he kissed her neck.

"Hey! No harming of dragons in my kingdom!" she told him with a grin.

"Fine. I would find you a dragon egg for you to hatch your very own, then." She smiled and he leaned down and ran his scruffy stubble across the back of her neck. She giggled and tried to pull away but he held her tight and ran his chin up the side of her neck. She quivered and giggled some more. He laughed. "I don't get it. You're not ticklish at all except for when I do that."

"I can't help it. I love it when you're scruffy," she told him with a smile. She pulled him away from the window and back through the living room. "We better go get ready," she told him and continued around the other side the room towards the other entrance to the bedroom. When they went around the wall with the fireplace, she stopped in her tracks and took in the wall length mirror. She smiled as she looked at their reflections and then moved him so he was facing the mirror. She flicked her brows at him and reached up and slipped the robe off of his shoulders as she stepped behind him and looked at him in the mirror lovingly.

"What?" he asked as he looked at her in the mirror.

She sighed contently as she stared at him. "Damn, we need a full length mirror at home."

He smiled as he studied his reflection. While he could still see where his scars were, the thin lines they had been transformed into weren't the first thing that jumped out. He had to search to see them, and he silently thanked Kahlan for loving him so much and really understanding how much they had bothered him. "Like what you see?"

"Nah," she started as she reached around and felt his chest. "I love it." He chuckled and blushed a little. "What? How could I not love this perfect male form?" she asked as her hands went to his face. "That strong jaw line, those cheek bones, and brow line," she started as her fingers traced them. "You have the classic bone structure that artists of old loved to chisel in marble." Her hands went into his hair. "And your hair," she started as she ran her hands through it and ended up tussling his bangs. "That dark, thick, luscious mop of gorgeous hair," she sighed again as she ran her hands back through it. "I could spend hours just doing that." He grinned wide enough to show his dimples.

"And don't even get me started on those dimples," she started and then giggled. "They make me weak in the knees like some young school girl." She pulled back to his shoulders. "Broad, strong shoulders that could carry the weight of the world, and sometimes do," she told him as her hands gently traced his shoulders and moved down onto his arms. "Long, strong arms; the one place where I feel completely safe." His alpha swelled with the knowledge that he was her safe place. Her hands traced down to his hands. "Hands that mine fit into perfectly." She intertwined her fingers with his for a second and then reached under his arms and rubbed her hands over his chest. "A strong chest that swells with pride every now and then when your alpha shows." He chuckled because it just had. Her hands went down to his abdomen. "And a six-pack that is better than any beer." His dimples shown again as she let her fingernails drift over each one of his muscles, and they shivered under her faint touch. She then leaned down and run her fingers up his legs. "Perfectly toned runner's legs that beat me in every race." She smiled wickedly as her hands went up the back of his legs to his butt. "An ass that looks good no matter what it's in," she told him and then pinched both of his cheeks at the same time.

He jumped a little and laughed. "For loving it, you sure do abuse it."

She rubbed the spots where she had pinched. "I can't help it. It's so damn perfect that I have to pinch it to make sure it's real," she told him with a giggle and her hands made their way to the front of him again. "And this," she started as her hands traced the 'V' that angled down to his manhood. "This is my favorite part," she told him as she ran her hands up and down it. "I don't think there's a woman alive who can say this isn't the sexiest part of a well formed male body." He quivered under her touch. "And, of course, it leads to this," she told him as she caressed his manhood that had already begun to grow. He moaned in pleasure as she massaged him slowly. "When I say we were made for each other," she started as she kissed a trail across his back while still massaging him. "I don't just mean spiritually."

He moaned with pleasure as he grew even more. "God, Babe," he whispered softly as he thrusted in her hand and she moved to caress one of his pleasure spots. He sucked in his breath as goose bumps formed on his legs.

She finally released him and leaned up and kissed his neck. He groaned at the lost contact, and she looked at him in the mirror again. "How could I not love this? You're a Greek God for Christ's sake."

He turned his head to her. "Yeah?"

"Oh yeah," she told him told him as her hands went to exploring his chest again.

"Which one?" he asked with a grin.

She looked at him in the mirror again and smiled. She licked her bottom lip as she considered the wonderful image in front of her. She hugged herself up against his back and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Not Zeus, he's too old." She let him go and ran her hands down his back and his butt again. His butt muscled tensed in preparation of another pinch, but she playfully spanked him as she laughed. She looked back at him in the mirror. "Definitely not Poseidon; I hate you with a beard."

He laughed. "I know, just scruffy or clean shaven."

She smiled and ran her fingernails down his arms. "Not Aries; I always pictured him built more like Sam."

He shot her a look out of the corner of his eye. "You don't wish I was built like that?"

She got a disgusted look on her face. "No way; I'd never want to lay up against that every night. No," she told him again as she shook her head. "You were too skinny when I first met you, but the thirty extra pounds I've packed on you since then that you have carved into that sexy frame, have made you almost too good to look at." She kissed his arm. "I said almost." She laughed at his look. "You are perfect the way you are."

He beamed at the compliment. "Then which one?"

She studied his reflection some more as she bit her lip and then a wicked smiled creased her face. "Hades."

His brows rose. "The god of the underworld?"

She reached around and ran her hands up and down his taut stomach and chest muscles. "Oh yeah. I can just imagine your stare boring into the souls of the dead and judging who is worthy of going to the Elysium Fields and who isn't." She nodded. "Definitely Hades."

Knowing her love of all things dark, he knew how big of a compliment that really was. He turned in her arms and slipped her robe off of her. "I don't think of a goddess when I look at you," he told her as he moved in behind her and looked at her in the mirror.

"No?" she asked softly knowing he wasn't putting her down in any way.

"No," he started as his hands started trailing down her neck, onto her shoulders, and down her arms. "I always thought they were too perfect, too nonhuman," he told her and then kissed her neck. "When I look at you," he kissed her shoulder as he looked at her in the mirror. "I think more along the lines of Helen."

She smiled as he kissed a trail back up her neck. "Helen of Troy?"

"Yep," he told her as he nuzzled her hair out of the way and kissed the back of her neck. "The face that launched a thousand ships," he told her softly as his hands went to her sides and traced down to her hips. His hands were shaking ever so slightly, but she didn't notice. _God, I still can't believe you are mine. _"The most beautiful woman in the world." She huffed in disbelief. "What? I'd go to war for you," he told her seriously as his hands made their way up and caressed her breasts, and she moaned with pleasure as he massaged them. "I've never seen a woman more beautiful than you," he whispered into her ear and then moved and nibbled the spot behind her ear as his hands traced down her front and moved to her hips. "You are so toned," he continued as his hands went over her hips to the tops of her thighs. "I love the way your body can do so many things," he told her as reached around and let his fingers ghost her bundle or nerves. She slowly thrusted forward to try and get him to touch her, but he stood back up and smiled at her in the mirror.

"I," he kissed her neck. "Love," he kissed her shoulder. "Everything," he brought up her arm and kissed inside her elbow. "About," he kissed the side of her chest and slowly turned her to him. "Your," he kissed the base of her throat. "Body," he finally finished as he kissed her lips as his fingers moved to massage her and a moan of pleasure escaped her. He moved back in behind her and watched her in the mirror as she leaned her head back onto his chest and he kissed her cheek.

"What's your favorite part about me?" she asked him.

He smiled as he wrapped his arms around her and studied her in the mirror. "You'll think I'm corny."

Her brows furrowed as she studied his face. "No I won't."

He smiled. "Those damn beautiful blues."

"My eyes?"

He could hear the shock in her voice. He rested his chin on her shoulder and locked eyes with her in the mirror. "Oh yeah. It's like I fall in love with you all over again every time I look at them. I can see how much you love me in them, and that tells me I'm doing something right." He nodded, turned her to him and looked into her eyes again. "I feel like they can see into my soul, and it's like I lose myself in them." She smiled. "And I love the way they sparkle when you're feeling mischievous." He shook his head. "I couldn't handle life without seeing those beautiful blues." He leaned down and covered her lips with his.

She leaned up and deepened the kiss, and he groaned and pushed her back up against the mirror and started to massage her again with his left hand. He reached down with his right hand and grabbed her behind the left knee and brought her leg up. She smiled, stretched her leg out, and moved her ankle to rest on his shoulder. He kissed her ankle. "I love how flexible you are," he breathed heavily as his fingers slid in and found her core.

"I know," she breathed as her head fell back in pleasure. "We're supposed. . . to meet everyone. . . for dinner," she told him as her breathing became jagged with pleasure.

"I don't think they'll miss us," he told her as his heart quickened as her pleasure increased his own and he started kissing a trail down her neck to her breasts. She reached forward and massaged his increasing manhood and he moaned again. "Jesus, Babe," he breathed as he pressed himself into her hand. After a few moments, she let go of his manhood and pulled his body to her greedily. He let go of her, reached around her bottom, and picked her up.

"Oh God, Hun," she cried out in pleasure as he slid her down onto him. She put her hands around his neck and dug her nails in. She pushed her back into the mirror and used it as leverage to ride him deeply as he supported her weight. She clenched her muscles around him and he quivered.

"I love it when you do that," he breathed as he kissed her neck as he raised her up and down him.

"I know," she told him with a grin as she rode him some more and then tightened around him again.

A moan of pleasure escaped him as she did it and he lifted her up. "I can't believe you have such amazing control over all of your muscles." She giggled and then sucked in her breath in pleasure as he brought her down him again.

After several minutes they were both panting in ecstasy. She reached up and ran her nails through his hair making sure to hit several points that she knew helped him release tension, and he moaned with desire.

He marked one of her breasts roughly. The alpha in him howled as he felt her trying to go faster. Knowing he was the one bringing her pleasure made him even harder. "Slow down, Babe," he told her as he moved to pleasure her other breast.

Her legs wrapped around him tightly as she tried to take him into her completely. "Please, Aaron," she begged.

He chuckled and pulled her away from the wall and moved them into the living room. Without releasing her, he slowly got down onto one knee, then two, and then gently laid her down on the bear rug. After a few more thrusts, she groaned as he pulled out. "Take it easy, Babe. Yesterday was too quick. We're on vacation, so we can take our time and enjoy this," he told her tenderly and started a trail of kisses down her chest and abdomen. Her hips bucked against him as he moved in to pleasure her with his tongue. Her legs wrapped around his back and she pulled him closer. He chuckled again and added his fingers as she squirmed in delight.

Once he knew she was close, he moved off of her and turned her over as he pulled up on her hips. She laughed and she got up on her hands and knees. "Being on the rug bring out the animal in you?" she asked as she looked back at him.

"Oh yeah," he grin deviously as he gripped her firmly and inserted himself again. She leaned back and he pulled himself out. Before she could complain, he put himself back in slowly and pulled back out again. "God, Babe, you're so hot," he breathed and she could hear the hunger in his voice.

"I wonder why," she said seductively as she pushed herself onto him again.

He gripped her hips and held onto them tightly as he started thrusting. The noises escaping her made him want her even more and primal urge took over. The slight pressure of his balls slapping into her with each trust made the experience even more stimulating and he sped up. She fisted her hands into the rug and pushed back each time he pushed forward and he thrusted even faster. He reached around and fingered her bundle and she squirmed some more. "Oh God!" he exclaimed as he felt himself nearing the edge. Before he got there, though, he felt her clench around him again and she released her fluids as she cried out his name. The even hotter liquid seared into him and took him over the edge, too. He continued thrusting as his whole body tingled with the release of his own fluids.

Once he was done, he finally pulled out and collapsed onto the rug beside her. They both laid there trying to catch their breath in the sensual aftermath.

After a few minutes she smiled and scooted over next to him. "Damn, Hun, that was. . ." She shook her head. "Wow."

He wrapped his arms around her and smiled. "I don't think you have ever been that hot before."

She giggled. "I guess acting out a fantasy does that to me."

He raised his brows. "A fantasy?"

She giggled again. "The way we started with you holding me like that. I think almost every woman has had that fantasy since 'Roadhouse' came out." She could tell by his look that he had no idea what she was talking about. "Don't worry about it. Just know it was hotter than I ever imagined."

He pulled her closer. "Yeah? Got any other fantasies we can take care of on this vacation?" he asked slyly.

She laughed and looked toward the bedroom. "It is a four poster bed," she told him with a wicked grin.

He laughed. "You are so bad."

She flicked her brows. "I'll show you just how bad after I buy some rope."

He shook his head at her as he laughed some more, but he felt his manhood twitch at the thought. _I still haven't figured out if you want to be tied up or if you want to tie me up. _

They laid in front of the fire enjoying the ambiance in each other's arms, and she sighed deeply. After a while, he felt her shiver, so he got up and then pulled her up. "Let's go relax in that hot tub," he told her as he went and grabbed their robes.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

After relaxing in the hot tub for about an hour, Hotch and Kahlan made their way back down into their room. As Hotch was putting on his pajamas, his stomach growled loudly. Kahlan laughed at him. He put a hand over his stomach. "I guess we shouldn't have skipped dinner."

She shook her head. "Just call for something. They'll bring it up for you."

"A seventeenth century castle has room service?"

"It is a five start hotel, Hun. You could probably get anything you want," she told him as she went over to the nightstand. She lifted the lid on a small wooden box that revealed a telephone. His shocked look made her laugh some more. "What do you want?"

He walked over, took the receiver out of her hand, and put it back in the box. "I just want to crawl in this massive bed and savior your closeness." After all of the activity, he was exhausted.

She smiled and pulled the covers back. "I guess there is always breakfast."

He crawled in and then she got in and snuggled up to him. "Goodnight, Hun. I love you."

He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her on the head. "I love you, too, Babe."

XXX

Kahlan awoke to an empty bed. She smiled as she stretched and snuggled back down into the covers for another moment or two. She heard the hallway door open and she turned toward the opened bedroom door wondering who was going to be coming in to wake her up. Joey peaked around the doorframe quietly. Kahlan smiled at her. "Hey, Pumpkin."

Joey smiled and ran and jumped on the bed. "Mornin, Mommy."

Kahlan grabbed her and snuggled her down next to her. "What do you think of it so far?"

"Angus showed me his rabbits, his minks, the falcons, the horses, everything!"

"Yeah? Pretty cool, huh?"

"Oh yeah. I want to live where we can have animals like that."

Kahlan smiled sadly at her. "Not a lot of places like that back in our part of Virginia."

Joey pouted. "Yeah, I guess." She shook her head as she thought about it. "I don't want to move either."

"We'll just have to make sure we visit places like this so you can get your animal fix."

Joey brightened with that news. "Daddy said to wake you up. Breakfast is ready."

"I figured, but I really like this bed."

Joey giggled. "Mine's suspended from the ceiling; it moves."

"Cool!"

Joey squirmed out of her mother's arms and pulled on her. "Come on, Mommy!"

Kahlan groaned and then smiled as she let Joey pull her from the bed. "Go. I'll get dressed."

"After breakfast, can we explore the castle?"

"Sure, Pumpkin."

Joey jumped up and down with a massive grin. "Then I'll see you down stairs," she told her and then left.

Kahlan shook her head and went to the restroom to get ready.

She joined her family for eggs, toast, bacon, potatoes, and coffee.

"So apparently you two were just too tired to come down to dinner last night?" Dave asked Hotch with a grin.

Hotch's fork almost missed his mouth as he shot Dave a look.

"Yeah, that car ride really took it out of us," Kahlan told him with a grin.

Cindi hid her smile behind her coffee cup.

"The water in the moat is heated," Jack told everyone. "So we can still go swimming."

"That sounds like fun," Cindi told him.

"I want to go horseback riding," Wyatt told them and then shoveled a fork full of eggs into his mouth.

"We have plenty of time; you don't have to try and do it all in one day," Kahlan told him as she sipped her coffee.

"So what do you want to do today?" Hotch asked her.

"Joey and I are going to go exploring first," she told him with a grin and then looked at her daughter.

Hotch looked at Joey, too, and he could see the mischief on both of their faces. He chuckled. "Well, don't get lost." He turned back to Kahlan. "Or in trouble."

Kahlan giggled and winked at Joey. "Us? In trouble? Never." That made Joey giggle, too.

Hotch shook his head at both of them.

XXX

After a few hours of not seeing either one of his girls, Hotch was starting to get worried. He paced in his room and thought about going to Sean or Annie, but he really didn't want them to know what the girls were up to in case they would look down on it. He was sure they were alright physically, but he was worried none the less. _I guess I could go look for them_. He shook his head. _I wouldn't even know where to start. Hell, they could even be outside somewhere._ He sat down on the couch in front of the fireplace and contemplated what to do.

After a few moments, he suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and he jumped up and turned around.

Kahlan started laughing.

"What the hell, Babe! Are you trying to cause me to have a heart attack?"

She shook her head and her face was turning red from laughing so hard that she couldn't breathe.

He half growled at her. "How the hell did you get in here?"

After a few snorts and small coughs, she finally got herself under control. "There are passage ways throughout this whole place."

He looked around the room and tried to figure out where she had emerged from, but he couldn't. Then a horrible thought hit him. "You mean anyone could have. . ."

Kahlan quickly shook her head as soon as she realized what he was thinking. "I don't think anyone has been in most of them in a long time."

Hotch eyed her warily. "How could you tell?"

She smiled. "Because of the dust and cob webs."

"Oh. You're sure?"

She went to him and pulled him into a hug. "Yes, Hun. No one saw us."

He took a deep breath and relaxed a little. "Good." He smiled at her. "So you two had fun?"

She smiled mischievously. "For the most part."

He studied her. "Most part? What did you find that you didn't like?"

She shivered. "Joey found the way to that tower."

He could hear the uneasiness in her tone. "The tower?" He knew she was referring to the dark and ominous tower that loomed above the turret above their heads.

She licked her lips. "I don't think anything good has ever happened up there."

He studied her. "Did you go in it?"

She shook her head quickly. "No. We didn't even get close."

He stifled a chuckle. "Is it haunted?"

She smacked him on the chest roughly and moved away from him. "Shut up, Aaron."

He laughed as he rubbed his chest. "You know, they say the only way to get over your fears is to face them." The look of horror on her face made him laugh again. "Just saying."

"You want to go up there? You go right ahead." She shook her head again. "But don't expect me to come rescue you when you find yourself in trouble," she told him seriously.

He studied her some more and realized she was actually frightened. It gave him an odd sensation. He wanted to protect her from anything that would scare her, but he was sure it was just her in her head. He stepped over to her and put his hands on her waist. "We could go together."

She shook her head. "There is nothing you could do that would make me want to go up there," she told him seriously.

He licked his lips. _It's only your imagination, Babe, and once I prove that to you, you won't need to be scared anymore._ He grinned. "Not even if I promise to go find some rope?" he asked her deviously.

The look she gave him made him chuckle. She looked toward the wall as she considered it. After a few heartbeats, she looked back at him. "That's not fair."

He quirked his brows. "You know I don't fight fair."

She sucked in her bottom lip and studied him. "I have to actually go in it?"

He smiled. "Yes."

"How long?"

He laughed. _She's going to make me be very specific._ "For as long as I say. I want enough time to prove to you that there is nothing to be afraid of."

She took a deep breath and held it as her eyes darted around. She let the breath out through her nose as she chewed on her bottom lip.

_Damn, she really is scared._ "I won't let anything happen to you," he told her tenderly.

She looked him the eyes. "When?"

"How bad do you want to fulfill that fantasy?"

Her shoulders slumped. "You want to do it at night?"

He couldn't help himself, he chuckled again. "If we're going to do it, we might as well do it right."

She looked at the floor as she fidgeted with her jeans. Hotch pulled back away from her and noticed the pulse in her neck. It was pounding in a rapid rhythm and her breathing had quickened, too. _Jesus, Babe._ He cleared his throat as he put his hands on the sides of her face and made her look at him. "Forget it. I won't blackmail you into doing something you really can't handle, Kahlan." She searched his eyes as she took a deep breath. He smiled. "And I'll still find you some rope."

She shook her head as she pulled away from. "No. I'll go with you to that damn tower, and when you get the shit scared out of you, then I can make fun of you!" she told him defiantly.

He stood up straight. "Not gonna happen."

She huffed. "I'm taking Joey to go explore the woods, you want to come?" she asked as she headed for the door.

He smiled and followed her. "Yeah. We might find a haunted graveyard or something."

She froze in her tracks; her hand on the latch, and he made sure to stop so he wasn't within arm's reach. He saw her take a deep breath and then finally opened the door. He chuckled to himself and followed her out.

XXX

After spending about an hour in the woods with his girls, they headed to check out the loch. He had seen a few things that could have been skewed as supernatural, but he behaved himself. He didn't want to tease Kahlan in front of Joey because he didn't want to scare his little angel. They walked around the bank hand in hand with their daughter in between them, and he sighed contently. Now that the boys were getting older, they didn't want to spend as much time with their parents, so he relished the time they still had with Joey.

As he walked along in silence, he found himself thinking. He had to fight down the bad in him that wanted to scare his wife because he had never had anything to tease her about before, and he had thought up all kinds of ways to make sure their trip to the tower scared the hell out of her. He shook his head. The good side of him wanted to protect her and shield her from anything that bothered her, though, so he was torn.

The more he thought about it, though, the more his bad side was winning. He smiled to himself because he knew if she had the chance to scare him, she would do it without thinking twice. _I should do it. I can scare the shit out of her, and then comfort her, and come out the hero. _He realized Kahlan was looking at him, and he quickly gave her a smile. She eyed him warily for a seconds but finally returned the smile.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

When Hotch, Kahlan, and Joey got back to the castle they saw Dave and the boys with a bunch of fishing gear. Dave smiled at them. "I was wondering where you were."

Joey's smile revealed her dimples. "We going fishing now, Poppi?" she asked as she ran to him.

"Unless you don't want to go," Dave teased her.

She nodded enthusiastically. "Of course I want to go!"

Wyatt looked at his parents. "You all coming?"

"Of course," Hotch told him as he grabbed one of the tackle boxes.

"When was the last time you went fishing?" Dave asked him.

"That time you let me and the boys use your cabin."

"And we didn't catch anything," Jack reminded him.

Hotch nodded. "Hopefully we'll have better luck today."

Joey looked at them with her Hotch stare. "You will not keep them!"

Wyatt chuckled. "Nah, Joe, we won't."

"Where's Grandma?" Joey asked as she looked around.

"Reading," Dave told her. "She doesn't really like fishing."

"No. She just likes reading more," Kahlan pointed out.

"Then let's go," Joey said excitedly and started out, the little fishing pole over her shoulder bouncing with every step.

They all laughed, grabbed the gear, and made their way to the loch.

After Dave showed her how to bait her hook and cast the rod a few times, Joey was an expert. She giggled as she caught the first one. She took her pole to Dave so he could get the fish off without hurting it.

Jack laughed at it. "I don't even think that can be classified as a fish." Joey looked at him questioningly. "It's more like a minnow."

"Jack," Hotch said in a tone.

Joey huffed and watched the little thing swim away from the shore. Before she could cast her line again, Wyatt was battling something big, so Joey quickly ran up to watch him. "Maybe it's a monster like Nessie."

"I hope not," Kahlan told her with a grin. "That thing might like to eat little girls."

Joey quickly stepped back from the edge and Hotch and Kahlan shared a smile.

After about five minutes, Wyatt finally landed a long, heavy fish. He held it up proudly as Kahlan took a picture. "That's a pike, isn't it?" she asked Dave.

Dave nodded. "Yep, and watch its teeth," he told Wyatt seriously.

"How much do you think it weighs, Dad?" Wyatt asked as he held it out for Hotch to take.

Hotch grabbed it under the gills and hefted it. "Easily ten to twelve pounds."

Wyatt smiled proudly.

"Coll said they've gotten some out of here that were over twenty," Dave told them as he patted Wyatt on the back.

"Put it back before it drowns," Joey pleaded. They all looked at her questioningly. "Well if we breathe air and water makes us drown, wouldn't air make them drown since they breathe water?"

Hotch chuckled at her child-size logic as he held the fish back out to Wyatt. "You caught it, you release it."

Wyatt took it and walked to the edge of the water. He held it down in the water a few seconds and when the fish started trying to swim, he released it.

"Bye fishy!" Joey called to it as she tried to watch it swim away. She looked up with a smile. "Ohhhh, Daddy, you have a bite!" she exclaimed as Hotch's pole almost bent over to the ground from the force of the fish.

"Here, Joe. You do it," he told her as he picked his pole up from the twig he had leaned it against.

Joey smiled and ran up to him. "You sure, Daddy?"

"Yeah," he told her with a smile and handed her the pole.

When the fish suddenly tried to take off, it pulled Joey forward a step.

"Watch her," Kahlan told her husband. She didn't want her daughter to be pulled into the cold water of the loch.

Hotch went behind Joey and knelt down beside her. He wrapped one arm around her waist and held the pole with the other hand. "Try to reel it in."

Joey giggled as she struggled to turn the crank of the reel. As soon as the fish let up its pressure, she'd reel it in quickly, but the fish would take off again and pull the line back out.

Hotch shook his head. "Maybe it is a monster."

Joey giggled some more. Jack and Wyatt left their poles and went to watch Joey. Dave shook his head as he smiled. "That damn thing could weigh as much as she does."

"That would be a record, I bet," Jack told him. "Come on, Joe. You at least have to get it in so we can get a picture."

"I'm trying, but he's strong!" Joey told him as her tongue went out to the side of her mouth in concentration. Suddenly the line went slack and Joey almost fell over but Hotch caught her. "Awwww," Joey pouted.

"Did the line break?" Kahlan asked them.

Before Hotch could answer, Joey was jerked forward and a massive pike broke the surface of the water in a mighty jump. Joey almost fell in the water because Hotch had let go of her under the assumption the line had broken, too, but he grabbed her before she got wet. "Sorry, Angel," Hotch told her sheepishly as he grabbed the pole long enough for Joey to right herself.

"Did you see how big that thing was?" Jack asked them all excitedly.

"He's been out here a while, that's for sure," Dave told them.

"Should we just cut the line and let him go? He's probably a grandpa fish," Joey told them seriously.

"No," Kahlan told her as she joined her. "If the hook is in his mouth, he'll get sick and not be able to eat. Let Daddy reel him in if you can't."

Joey nodded her understanding. "Yeah, Daddy. You better do it," she told him and moved to the side a little so he could get ahold of the pole.

"You sure?" Hotch asked her before he took it. She nodded, so he took the pole and stood up.

Even Hotch struggled a little to get the massive fish into the shore. Once he had it close enough, Dave used a net and scooped it up. Hotch reached in a grabbed it and held it up for everyone to get a good look at it. He had to support his wrist with his other hand and they could all tell it was heavy.

"Awww," Joey started sadly. "He's got three hooks in him."

"Poppi will get them all out," Kahlan assured her and Dave grabbed a pair of pliers.

"He has to be old. Look how some of his scales are fading," Wyatt pointed out.

"He's not just a grandpa fish, he's a great, great grandpa fish," Jack told Joey. She nodded her agreement.

Dave carefully took out all three hooks. "Apparently he got away from a few people."

"He's probably over forty pounds," Hotch told them.

They all looked at it for a few more seconds and Hotch finally moved toward the shore. "Better get him back in."

They all followed him and watched as he put the huge fish into the water. When it didn't move, Hotch bent down further and moved it around trying to stimulate it. He shot a quick look to Kahlan and she cringed.

"Awwww," Joey started as she teared up.

Kahlan put her hand on her shoulder and was about to comfort her when the fish's massive tail moved and splashed the shallow water.

Hotch let it go, stood up, and wiped water off of his face as everyone laughed. "He did that on purpose!" he exclaimed as he shook his head.

Kahlan went to one of the tackle boxes and got out a few paper towels. "Here, Hun, let me help you with that," she told him as she still laughed and wiped his face for him.

He looked at everyone else with his stare and they all quickly went back to their poles, not laughing anymore, but still grinning. He shook his head again.

XXX

After fishing until it was starting to get dark, and everyone catching at least a couple, the family made their way back to the castle. As they got close to the wall, Kahlan and Hotch both noticed who was sitting on a bench beside the castle gate. "What does he want?" Hotch asked as he shot a look to his wife.

"How should I know?" she asked innocently.

"Maybe he's mad because of all of the trouble you two caused for his people in London," Dave suggested with a chuckle. Kahlan and Hotch both looked at him. "I'll take the kids in and we'll get cleaned up for dinner," he told them and led the kids inside the gate.

"Really, Clyde, your goons following us all around London wasn't bad enough you had to come all the way here to bug us personally?" Kahlan asked as she and Hotch walked up to him.

He stood up with a smile. "On the contrary, I've come to enlist your services."

Kahlan and Hotch shared a quick look. "Services?" Hotch asked him.

"How should I put this?" Clyde wondered aloud as he started down the path away from the castle, and they followed him. "I am in need of a couple, and you two have just the expertise I need."

"Talk fast Clyde; we are on vacation, but I do get bored easily," Kahlan told him dryly.

Hotch chuckled as Clyde turned to look at them again. He licked his lips and Hotch thought he was actually nervous. "After hearing from my people in London, it is obvious that you still have it," he told Kahlan and then quickly went on at her raised brows that showed her impatience. "I need someone to do a little surveillance and maybe even a little covert op."

Hotch almost smiled at Kahlan; he could tell her interest was piqued, but she shook her head and he almost choked.

"No," she told him flatly and started to turn back to the castle.

"But," Clyde stammered.

"We are on vacation," she told him simply.

Clyde looked at Hotch pleadingly. "It is rather important." Hotch was about to agree with Kahlan, but Clyde spoke up again. "Many lives could be saved."

Hotch studied him for a moment and then turned to Kahlan. "We can at least hear him out."

Clyde smiled. Emily had told him all about Hotch, so he knew what type of man he was. He knew Hotch wouldn't turn down the offer to save lives, and he was hoping Hotch could sway Kahlan to help.

She huffed as she looked at Clyde knowing full well what he was doing. "Come on," she told them and headed for the stables. She took them into the tack room and sat down on one of the saddle holders. Hotch moved to stand beside her. "Speak," she told Clyde with a look that told him she wasn't really interested; that she was only doing it to pacify her husband.

Clyde cleared his throat nervously and sat down. He ran his hands down his thighs and looked at them both slowly. "It seems we have a nasty individual in England, and we need someone who can get close to him without him realizing it." Kahlan studied him and he felt a little awkward under the attention.

Hotch crossed his arms as he studied him. "And why can't you use your own people to do it?"

Kahlan huffed. "Cause he's connected and possibly knows them," Kahlan answered for him.

Clyde bit his lip but his look told them she was right.

"And what is he supposed to have done?" Hotch asked.

Clyde sat up straighter. "He's a regular crime boss: drugs, human trafficking, guns, you name it and he has his hand in it somewhere. We just haven't been able to actually connect it to him because he is one slippery bastard."

"And how do you think she could get close to him?" Hotch asked as his deep rooted want to take care of all bad guys was starting to get drowned out by his worry for his wife.

"What's his name?" Kahlan asked before Clyde could answer.

Clyde looked at the ground. "See. . ."

"It not me you want, it's Aaron!" Kahlan exclaimed as she stood up defensively.

"What?" Hotch asked not sure what he had missed.

"He doesn't know who it is, and he wants your profiling skills to figure it out."

Hotch looked from her to Clyde. "What?"

"Tell him," Kahlan demanded.

Clyde stood up and dusted off the back of his pants. "I need both of you," he told her seriously and she tensed so he quickly got on with it. "We're not sure who is actually in charge. That is the main problem. They're five of them, and we haven't been able to narrow it down to the actual ring leader."

Hotch licked his lips as he started to understand. "So you want me to go in and figure out who is in charge and then you want her to get close to him and do her thing."

Kahlan shook her head in disgust. "And where is all of this supposed to take place?"

"There is a gala at one of the palaces. You two could go in under the cover as rich Americans and no one would suspect you for what you really are." He turned to Hotch. "You can observe them and figure out who the leader is, and then," he paused to look at Kahlan. "And then Kay can go in and set up surveillance on him so we can get the proof we need to take him and his organization down." He smiled at them. "We'll probably never get another chance like this. This is the first time all five of them will be in the same place."

Kahlan huffed as she walked toward the stalls, and Hotch knew she was thinking.

"Emily has always told me how great of a profiler you are," Clyde tried.

Kahlan turned back to him quickly. "And what, you think challenging his abilities is going to make him want to jump and do this to prove how good he is?" she laughed. "Aaron's not prideful like you Clyde. He knows how good he is and he doesn't have to prove it to you to feel validated."

Clyde shrugged. "Maybe you don't think you're up to the challenge any more, then."

Hotch laughed. "Now you're just being mean."

"Does this man's tendrils reach into the US?" Kahlan asked.

"Not yet," Clyde told them honestly.

"Then he's not our concern. I think you all need to take care of your own problems," she told him flatly as she folded her arms across her chest.

Clyde huffed as he looked at them.

Hotch smiled, though, and looked at his wife. "You never know, it could be fun."

She didn't hide her shock at his statement. "Aaron, those men are probably dangerous as hell. . ."

"We would equip you with everything you would need," Clyde assured Hotch.

"I haven't worked undercover in a while," Hotch told her longingly.

She shook her head, and Clyde knew she was close to saying 'yes', so he moved in with the big guns. "Part of their trafficking ring sells children to foreign countries." Her look of disgust almost made him smile because he knew he had her; he knew children were her weakness. "He really needs to be taken down, Kay."

She looked at her husband and he gave her a look that told her he wanted to do it. "Dave and your mom can watch the kids."

She sighed deeply. "Where and when?"

Clyde smiled as he pulled an envelope out of his inside jacket pocket.

XXX

As Hotch and Kahlan made their way back to the castle keep alone, she shook her head. "You know he played us, right?"

Hotch chuckled. "Yeah. His ability to manipulate people is what probably helped him get to where he is."

She stopped and locked eyes with him. "We are just supposed to get in and get out. You probably won't have the chance to see them take him down. It will probably take them a while to build their case against him." She knew he was driven by the need to make the world a safer place, and she was worried he would want to do more.

He gave her a cocky grin. "We'll see," he told her and started for the castle again.

She looked at him with shock. _No, Aaron!_ She quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. "Aaron Jackson Hotchner! You do not have plans of going in there and baiting him once you figure out who it is, do you?"

He quirked his brows and then smiled. "I will only do what is needed to be done."

"Don't you dare try to turn my own words against me!"

He chuckled. "How does it feel?"

"Aaron, please! If those men are truly responsible for what they think they are, they would not hesitate to kill you!"

"It's just another unsub, Babe."

"Yeah, but you usually have your team as back up when bringing down those unsubs."

He smiled. "I don't need my team if I have you," he told her as he put his arms around her waist.

She shook her head slowly as she cut her eyes to the side. _If one of those son of a bitches tries to hurt you, I kill him! I'll kill them all if needed!_

He noticed her hands were balled into fists so he pulled her closer to him. "Together we can do anything."

She bit her lip, looked him in the eyes, and finally smiled. "Together."

He nodded. "Together."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

After dinner, the couple told Dave what was going on and then they sat the kids down to give them an outlined version. They thought about not telling them, but they both knew that if they disappeared after seeing Clyde, they would put two and two together and be mad about being left in the dark.

"So we'll leave out in the morning and probably not be back until the following night," Kahlan told them.

"Is Aunt Emily going to be there?" Jack asked them.

"I don't know for sure, but I would think she is," Hotch told him honestly.

"It's going to be dangerous?" Wyatt asked with concern.

"It could be," Kahlan admitted.

"You promise to be careful?" Joey asked them seriously.

"Of course, Angel," Hotch told her.

"And watch each other's backs?" Jack clarified.

Kahlan smiled. "Of course!"

"Can you trust this Easter guy?" Wyatt asked them.

"With this, yes," Kahlan told him.

Wyatt shared a look with his brother and sister. "Well, we know we couldn't talk you out of it, and if this guy is as bad as I think he is, he needs to taken down." He smiled. "I guess if it has to be done; it might as well be done right."

Kahlan and Hotch both smiled at him.

"And by the best in the business," Jack added with a grin.

"Yep," Joey agreed and went and hugged her parents' legs. "Mommy and Daddy are the best!"

XXX

Once they were alone in their room, Kahlan smiled at him. "What?" he asked her.

"We don't have time to go to that tower tonight."

He chuckled. "But we'll have plenty of time when we get back. Don't think you are going to get out of it," he assured her.

"I think our vacation will be complete enough that we don't have to do that," she tried.

He went to her and put his arms around her neck. "No it won't."

She studied his face. "You're enjoying this aren't you?"

"Probably as much as you'll enjoy using that rope," he told her with a wily grin.

She gave him a seductive look. "Somehow I doubt that," she told him as she flicked her brows. He studied her face, and she giggled. "Figured it out yet?"

"What?"

She giggled again. "You don't know what I want to do with the rope."

He ran a hand down his chin as he studied her some more. "I can imagine what you want to do."

She giggled her evil giggle. "No you can't," she told him with a smile and then went to get her laptop.

He swallowed hard as his eyes got a little bigger. _Why did you giggle like that, Babe?_ He felt his heart quicken. _Damn, you're not afraid of your own wife, are you Hotchner?_ He bit his lip as he watched her sit down. He shook his head. _No, she wouldn't hurt me, but God knows what she does want to do to me._

She felt him looking at her and she gave him an evil grin. "You better make sure taking me to that tower is worth it."

_Is worth what, Babe?_ He knew her evil streak was big, but he was pretty sure she would never actually use it on him. _Pretty sure doesn't sound that sure, does it Hotchner?_

She laughed. "Get over here. Clyde sent the files," she told him as she patted the couch beside her.

_Yeah. Focus on the case, Hotchner. Stop letting your imagination run away with you._ He took a deep breath and sat down. He looked at the pictures of the five men in question. "Do we have a printer?"

She grinned and he heard a printer start. "Annie let us borrow hers."

He looked around and finally saw it, so he got up to grab the pictures and files Clyde had sent them.

"I think at least two of these guys are brothers," she told him as he came back to the couch.

He looked through the five pictures as he studied their unsubs slowly. Two of them did look a little alike, but not enough that he thought they were brothers.

She smiled. "Really? You still don't believe me and my ability to judge siblings?"

He looked at the pictures a little more closely. "Which ones?" he asked as he handed her the pictures with raised brows.

She sifted through the pictures and pulled out one of a tall, blonde haired, blue eyed, older man and one of a shorter, dark haired, brown eyed, younger man. She smiled as she handed them to him. "Just like you and Sean, just opposite."

Hotch took the pictures and really looked at them. "I don't see it."

She huffed. "Look at the area around their eyes and the way they are standing."

He did but he shook his head. "I still don't see it."

She chuckled. "Bet me?"

He started going through the files. "Why? Is there something in here that says they are?"

"Chicken."

He huffed. "Fine, but you can't bet the tower." She huffed and he knew that is exactly what she was going to do. "Think of something else."

She gave him a devious grin. "We're in Scotland, so if I win, you have to eat haggis."

He got a disgusting look on his face but then smiled. "And if I win, you have to, and you have to do it in front of the kids."

She stuck out her hand and he shook it to seal the deal. "Let's do our homework so we can get to bed. I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to be a very long day."

Hotch nodded and then looked at her questioningly. "How are we supposed to go to a gala without the proper clothing?"

She smiled. "I've already taken care of that. You worry about trying to figure who is in charge, and I'll worry about the little details."

He eyed her warily for a second, but then focused on the information Clyde had sent him.

After a couple hours, they both decided to turn in for the night. Once Kahlan was snuggled up against him, he turned off the little light on his nightstand. He heard Kahlan sigh contently, and a he had to hide an sinful grin. Once he thought she had dozed off, he tensed his whole body.

She woke up quickly and sat up. "What?"

"Did you hear that?" he asked in a low whisper.

Kahlan looked around the dark room. "Hear what?" she asked just as quietly.

Hotch slowly pulled himself into a sitting position. "I don't know. Sounded sort of like someone walking."

"Walking? Where? In the hall? Maybe one of the kids is up," she suggested and she started to pull away from him to get up.

He tightened his arm around her to stop her. "It sounded like it was right next to us, or maybe above us."

Her snapped to him in shock, and a little chuckled escaped him as he couldn't keep the charade up any longer

She gave him a dirty look. "That's not funny, Aaron!" she yelled and hit him right below his ribs.

The air gushed out of him with the nasty punch and his laughed was choked off. She shook her head at him as he got his breath back. "Damn, Babe," he told her as he rubbed where she hit.

She huffed, laid down, and rolled over on her side, facing away from him roughly.

"Aww, Babe, don't be like that," he told her as he grabbed her shoulder and tried to pull her back to him. "I was just messing with you."

She pulled out of his grasp and scooted over to the edge of the bed. "Don't touch me," she told him, but he could tell by her tone that she really didn't mean it.

He smiled and snuggled up to her back. "You may not want to be too close to the edge, something might be hiding under the bed." Her whole body tensed, and he laughed.

She quickly rolled over on him and started assaulting him with a flurry of hits, but none of them actually hurting him; and he couldn't stop laughing as he tried to protect himself. "I'm going to. . ." she started as she continued the barrage to his chest and arms. "I'll stuff you under the bed!"

He finally got ahold of her wrists and she stopped trying to fight him. He smiled deviously and then pulled her down for a kiss. "I love you," he told her as he still held onto her.

"Sure you do!" she told him and tried to pull away from him.

He laughed some more and pulled her down beside him. "I can't sleep unless you're by my side."

She huffed but snuggled up against him. "You better go to sleep," she threatened playfully.

He chuckled one more time and then settled down and they drifted off to sleep; he still had an sly little grin on his face.

XXX

The next morning, the Hotchner couple said goodbye to the rest of the family and drove to a nearby airstrip. Clyde had sent a small plane to bring them back to London, and they were preparing for the night with Clyde's best people before lunch in a house not too far from where the gala was being held.

"Any certain name you want to use?" a young man in front of a computer asked them.

Kahlan looked at Hotch and he shrugged. She smiled. "Mr. and Mrs. Jackson."

The man nodded and started typing. "You will be on the invitation list, but I will print you IDs, too."

Hotch nodded and then went to talk to Emily. She was in charge of the operation and was going to be in a surveillance van in the parking lot.

Kahlan watched her husband. _I think he's enjoying this a little too much. You better behave, Aaron._ He suddenly looked back at her and smiled cunningly while he moved his brows playfully. _What the hell has gotten into you, Hun? You're not normally this devilish._ She shook her head at him and smiled. _ I don't know why, but I love it._

After a few hours, Emily told them they needed to get ready, so she showed Kahlan to a room upstairs and Hotch to one on the main level.

Hotch eyed the tux Kahlan had picked out for him. He had expected a classic tux with tails sort of like the one she had him wear when he dressed up as a vampire their first Halloween, so he was quite surprised to find the modern black tux. He chuckled as he went into the bathroom and shaved. _Can't go to a gala all dressed up and looking like a bum._ After he finished in the rest room and had his hair just right, he got dressed. He bent down and hooked his ankle holster on. _ I don't know what kind of equipment Clyde thinks he's going to give us, but I'm not going without 'ol faithful. _He looked at himself and adjusted his tie. He smiled as he took in his reflection. _One thing's for sure, she does have great taste. _The tux's jacket and pants were black and the shirt was white, but the vest and tie were deep, electric blue.

He went out to join Emily and go over the plan one more time. Emily's eyes got big as she looked at him. He held his hands out as he smiled. "What?"

"Damn, Hotch," Emily started as he walked up to her. She wolf whistled as he turned around to give her the full effect.

"Nice, huh?" Hotch asked as he ran a hand down the front of his vest.

"That blue looks amazing on you," she told him with another smile.

"It matches Kahlan's eyes," he told proudly.

"Well, it's a good thing you didn't dress like that back when I was at the BAU, I would have gotten myself in trouble," she told him playfully as she bit her bottom lip.

He shook his head at her. "I think it's a little formal for work."

"What's Kahlan wearing?"

He shrugged. "I didn't even know what I was wearing until I walked into that room and saw it."

"Ohhhh. That does look great on you," Kahlan said from the stairs as she looked at her husband. "I knew it would."

Hotch turned and his eyes trailed up the steps and then fixed on step where her feet were. His gaze slowly went up and he lost his ability to breathe. Kahlan was wearing a beautiful, floor length, black gown. It shimmered as she descended the steps, and he wasn't sure if was a gown and a wrap or if the gown had multiple layers, but he had never seen her in a dress that fancy. Her hair was partially up in the back and loose curls fell about her face and shoulders, and her eyes sparkled more than the gown did; and he felt his heart quicken.

"Breathe, Big Guy," Emily joked as she put a hand on his shoulder.

He glanced at her and took a deep breath. He shook his head slowly as he walked to his wife. "My God, Babe. You look. . ." he licked his lips. "You look. . ." he shook his head again. "There are no words to describe how wonderful you look."

She smiled and started back down the steps. "You look pretty damn good, too, Hun."

"I look like a peasant next to the queen." He glided over to the stairs and she froze two steps from the bottom. He bowed his head stuck out his hand to her. "Would Ma'Lady do me the honor of accompanying me to the Gala this evening?"

She took his hand softly and smiled. "I would be honored to go anywhere with Ma'Lord."

He helped her down the steps as she giggled quietly. Clyde walked up to Emily and was about to say something but froze as he watched the couple.

"So you like it?" she asked as she twirled around.

He looked her up and down slowly. "Hmmm. . ."

"What?" she asked nervously.

He put his hand on his chin and studied her some more. "I don't know."

She reached up and fidgeted with her hair. "What?"

"It doesn't bring out your eyes enough," he told her seriously.

She looked disappointed. "You don't like the color?"

He shook his head. "The color's fine; you do look amazing in black, but it's missing something."

She looked down at herself and tried to figure out what he was talking about. "What?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet box. "This."

Her eyes got wide. "What's that?"

He smiled. "I was going to wait until Tuesday to give it to you, but I knew you were going to be dressed up tonight," he told her as he opened the box to reveal a necklace and matching earrings. "This will bring out those beautiful blues."

Kahlan sucked in her breath as she looked at the white gold and sapphire pieces sparkling on the black velvet interior of the box. "Oh my God, Aaron," she started as she reached a shaky hand to the box. "Their gorgeous."

"Happy Anniversary, Babe," he told her and then leaned in and kissed her. Once he pulled away he took the necklace out of the box and held it up, so she held up her hair and turned so he could put it on her. Once he was done, her hand covered it lovingly at her neck. He smiled when he saw her eyes water. She took the earrings out and put them in and smiled at him again. He nodded. "Now you look perfect," he told her as he put his hands on her waist.

Clyde snorted quietly, and Emily elbowed him in the ribs. "You just wish you had a love like that," she told him quietly. He huffed, but he didn't say anything.

"You never cease to amaze me," Kahlan told him tenderly. "I love them, and I love you."

He smiled proudly. "I love you, too, Babe."

Clyde cleared his throat. "We need to go over a few more things before you have to leave."

Kahlan cut her eyes toward Clyde for just a second and then looked back into the dark brown orbs of the man she loved and then leaned up to give him a passionate kiss. Once she pulled away, Hotch took her hand and turned to Clyde with a cocky look. "I think we're ready to talk now."

Emily chuckled.

*I have been revamping my website, and it has a new address. It is now: thetalesofhoffer. com (no spaces – 'the' is new and there is no longer a 'webs' in it). Some of the pages aren't done yet, but the ones for the Hotch/Kahlan stories are, including a new one for this story. I will continue adding things from this story as it goes, but you can see Hotch's and Kahlan's outfits for the Gala already, and pictures from London and the castle . Let me know what you think.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

After going over the plan again, Hotch and Kahlan were outfitted with the latest in surveillance equipment that included earwigs, video recorders, com links, and several weapons that didn't look like weapons at all. Hotch was impressed. What he had seen under the clock tower was nothing compared to all of the equipment he was seeing laid before him. He leaned over to whisper in his wife's ear. "Think they'd miss seven sets of all this?"

She giggled. "Maybe if we succeed, they'll give them to you." He looked at her questioningly. "We have yet to discuss payment." He balked. He hadn't planned on being paid; he was doing it because it was the right thing to do. She giggled at his look. "Come on, I think we're ready," she told him and took his hand.

Emily met them at the door. "Remember that we'll have agents in and around but none of them will go anywhere near the targets."

"And you'll be in the parking lot across the street," Hotch told her with a smile. "Calm down, Emily. We got this," he assured her as he squeezed her shoulder.

Emily shook her head. "We never faced anyone like this at the BAU."

Kahlan smiled. "He's had a little more experience with these types of men since you left, Em."

Hotch shot her a look. "You mean since I've known you," he told her with a grin to let her know he didn't mean anything bad by it.

"Come on handsome," Kahlan said with a grin, grabbed his hand, and pulled him out the door to the awaiting limo.

"Good luck," Emily called after them.

The short ride to the palace led to a line of limousines as the cars waited to drop off their charges. Hotch watched the entrance closely. "They're using metal detectors?"

Kahlan smiled. "Don't worry, Hun. One of Emily's people is up there to get us through."

He took a deep breath, and soon a handsomely dressed man opened the door and helped Kahlan get out. Hotch followed her and she put her arm in the crock of his elbow and they climbed the stairs together. Sure enough, they were through security without any problems and Hotch finally relaxed a little.

Hotch's alpha swelled as he noticed every man they passed stopped to stare at Kahlan. _My wife!_ He tried not to let his stare emerge and back the men down because he knew it really wasn't their fault. _If she wasn't on my arm, I'd be drooling, too._ He leaned in close. "Shall we see if we can find any of our unsubs?" he asked in a whisper.

She smiled and leaned close to him. "Who do you think we're following?"

Hotch turned a shocked look ahead of him and tried to see if he could see any of the men he was supposed to be profiling. He couldn't.

She giggled. "Go grab us a drink, and I'll get close," she told him as she let him go.

"Not too close," he warned seriously and she shoved him away lightly.

He searched and found a waiter carrying wine. He took two, and went in search of his wife. He smiled as he approached her. Standing about ten feet away from her was one of the men. He handed her the glass as he leaned in to give her a quick kiss. "For you, Ma'Lady."

She giggled as she took it and knew the only reason he had kissed her was to let all of the men around them know that she was his. "Texas seems anxious."

"Texas? Why is she calling him that?" Clyde asked Emily as they watched from the van.

Kahlan giggled. "The man is American," she told the com link quietly.

"What?!" Clyde started. "They hasn't been anything to suggest any of these men are from the US."

Hotch shook his head as he listened, and Kahlan laughed. "Look at the way he's standing. That's a cowboy if I've ever seen one."

Clyde and Emily both studied the man in Kahlan's camera view. Suddenly the man laughed and Clyde got a shocked look. It was obvious by the man's loud laugh and voice that he had a Texas drawl. Clyde shook his head as Emily laughed.

"Makes me wonder if any of the information is correct," Hotch said quietly, and Clyde huffed.

"Think they'll play anything even remotely country?" Kahlan asked Hotch a little loudly.

Hotch had to suppress a grin as the man in question turned to look at them. "I doubt it," he told her.

She pouted. "We haven't heard any good music since we left," she told him and he nodded as the man got closer.

"And what would you consider good music?" the man asked nicely.

Kahlan acted shocked at finding another man so close. "Oh you know, George Straight, Garth Brooks, maybe a little Hank Jr."

He man's smile grew bigger. "It sure is nice to hear another American voice. Sometimes these Brits are hard as hell to understand."

Kahlan laughed. "I agree."

Hotch looked at the man's hand. "How did you find a beer in a place like this?"

The man laughed. "Brought my own. Damn English beer is more like creek water back home."

Hotch laughed. "It is weak."

"I'd say there are a few creeks in Texas that are even stronger," Kahlan told him nicely.

The man's brows furrowed. "How'd you know I'm from. . ." he started and then laughed. "I guess the accent is pretty easy to place for someone back home. Let me guess, you're from Virginia?"

Hotch raised his brows. "And I didn't even know I had an accent."

The man smiled. "I travel a lot."

"So what's a cowboy like you doing at a gala like this?" Kahlan asked him as she put her hand on his arm lightly.

"Business with some buddies. . ." he started and then looked across the room as someone called out a name. "Speaking of the devils." He nodded to the Hotchners. "You get tired of sipping that shit and want a real drink, come find me."

"Oh, I'm sure we will eventually," Kahlan told him and he walked away.

They both watched him and the two men he walked over to meet; the two men Kahlan thought were brothers. "He's smarter than he looks," Hotch told Kahlan.

"Uh-huh, I have a feeling they all are extremely intelligent," Kahlan told him.

"They'd have to be to evade capture all this time," Clyde pointed out.

"That, or just really lucky," Hotch told them and then took Kahlan's hand and led her into one of the other rooms. It wouldn't do them any good to get caught staring at the men. "Dance with me," he told her as he took the wine glass out of her hand and set it on a table. Kahlan smiled and let him lead her onto the floor. "You did bug him, right?"

She giggled as he swept her around as they danced to a waltz. "Of course."

About forty five minutes later, Hotch noticed another one of their unsubs. Hotch's alpha's hackles rose as he took in the way the man was staring at Kahlan. Kahlan noticed who he was looking at and smiled. "You want me to go flirt with him?" she teased.

The look he gave her told her exactly how much he did not want that to happen.

"Go to the restroom or something. Let me see if he'll approach me."

"Kahlan," he started.

"Go, Aaron. I'll be fine," she assured him.

He let out a noise that soundly suspiciously like a growl but finally turned away from her and headed into the next room.

As soon as he disappeared around the corner, the man walked up to her with his hand out. "Could I have this dance?" he asked her in a heavy Australian accent. "A beautiful Sheila like you shouldn't be standing on the sidelines."

She smiled. "I don't dance with strangers."

"Of course. Where are my manners? Ethan Walker at your service," he told her with a little bow. "And you are?"

The tech next to Emily immediately started typing on a computer trying to find out everything she could about the man.

Kahlan smiled warmly. "Kahlan Jackson."

"Kahlan? That sounds Aussie."

"Sorry. Strictly American in my past."

He smiled. "Well, now that we know each other a little better, can we dance?"

She giggled. "Sure."

He smiled again, took her hand, and led her onto the dance floor.

Hotch came back before the song was over. He watched Kahlan laughing lightly, and his left eye twitched a little as he felt his anger rising.

"Just calm down, Big Guy," came Emily's voice over his earwig. "She's only doing her job."

He huffed and noticed Tex and his two friends watching Kahlan, too, so he studied them. "What's Tex's name?" Hotch asked Emily through his com link.

"Cody Murray from Dallas Texas, and Kay's dancing with Ethan Walker from Austraila. We still don't have full names on the two men with Cody, though," Emily told him.

"What are their first names?" Hotch asked her as he continued to watch them.

"Vicktor and Adrian, but we only have sound so we don't know which one is which."

"They sound Russian, though," Clyde put in.

"So we haven't seen number five, yet?" Hotch asked as he turned his attention back to Kahlan.

"Not yet. You think that means he's the head guy?" Clyde asked him.

"Not necessarily," Hotch told them as he started across the dance floor.

"What are you doing, Agent Hotchner?" Clyde asked desperately as they watched Hotch close in on the dancing duo quickly.

Hotch saw the man's hand start to drift down Kahlan's back and get too close to her butt. "I'm going to kill him," Hotch said angrily.

"Hotch. Come on, Hotch, don't blow this," Emily urged him.

"Just calm down," he told them quietly. He grabbed the man's arm and pulled him away from Kahlan roughly. "I think you're dancing with the wrong woman!" Hotch told him menacingly.

Kahlan looked at him with shock.

Ethan pulled away from Hotch and stood up straighter. "You left. That left her to be scooped up by a better bloke."

Hotch's hand balled into a fist. "And you think that's you?"

Ethan smiled. "Yep, and I don't think there is a damn thing you can do about it," he told him and went to grab Kahlan's hand again.

"You be surprised. . ." Hotch started but stopped as the other unsubs quickly joined them.

"Hey!" Cody started with a big smile. "There's no need to start a ruckus here, partner."

"This idiot a friend of yours?" Hotch asked him.

"If we could at least move this off the dance floor," one of the Russians asked as he gestured to the side of the room.

"Let's just go, Aaron," Kahlan tried as she moved closer to her husband.

"There's no need to leave because of this moron," Cody started. "Let me get you that beer to make up for my friend's lack of brains."

Hotch took a deep breath as he fixed Ethan with his stare for a moment.

"I didn't mean any harm," Ethan assured him. "I just didn't want the Sheila to get lonely."

"Shut up, Eth," the older Russian told him and then smiled at Kahlan. "You'll have to accept my apology for our friend here." He turned to Hotch. "Please. Join us for a drink. We have vodka, too."

"Alright," Hotch told him and grabbed Kahlan's hand.

The older Russian smiled and led the way.

Emily laughed. "Acting like a badass got them in," she told Clyde as she hit him on the shoulder. Clyde smiled as he got a little more impressed with Hotch. Emily beamed proudly. "I told you he was the best."

"Yeah. I just hope he's good enough to figure out who is in charge in the time they have left," Clyde told her.

Emily laughed again. "The night is still young."

The group led the Hotchners into a private room, and Kahlan and Hotch both quickly surveyed it. Their fifth unsub was already seated on one of the chairs. Another man quickly left the room by a door in the far wall. Cody turned to the couple. "I was just telling Adrian, here, how I ran into a couple Americans."

"We were quite surprised, and I have to admit that I didn't quite believe him," the younger Russian told them with a smile as he gestured to the seats.

"Why it is so hard to believe that there would be other Americans here. We like a party as well as any other country," Kahlan told him as she sat down on the little loveseat. Hotch quickly sat down beside her.

The older Russian laughed. "If you are anything like this one, I can imagine. I told my brother that," he told her with a smile as he gestured to the younger Russian.

"Brother?" Hotch asked and his stomach flipped as the thought of having to eat haggis almost made him cringe. Kahlan shot him a sly grin.

"Yeah. Most people don't realize it, but Vicktor is my big brother. I still tease him that he is. . . How do you Americans put it? The dairy man's?"

Cody laughed. "The milkman's."

"Yes, the milkman's."

Kahlan laughed, and Hotch shook his head. "So how did you all end up friends?" Hotch asked them.

"We met at a conference in Copenhagen," the fifth man told them with a smile as he stood up. "Fleix Hellstrom," he told them as he held out a hand to Hotch.

Hotch shook it. "Aaron Jackson, and this is my wife," he paused as he shot Ethan a dirty look. "Kahlan."

Cody laughed. "I never did introduce myself. Name's Cody Murray," he told them as he shook Hotch's hand next.

The man who had left came back in carrying a tray of seven beers and seven shot glasses. He went to Cody first.

"He's probably the one in charge," Clyde suggested.

As Cody took a beer, he gestured to the Russians. "And these strange sounding fellas are Vicktor and Adrian Karnovich."

The waiter brought the tray the Hotchners next, and Hotch grabbed one of the shot glasses while Kahlan grabbed a beer. "Thank you," she told the man nicely.

Emily relaxed a little. "At least they didn't make them take the last drinks. I would have been worried they were spiked or something." Clyde nodded his agreement.

"So what is it you do, Mr. Jackson?" Felix asked him.

Hotch smiled. "A little of this. A little of that. We like to travel."

"Travel, huh? Have you ever been to Russia?" Adrian asked.

"A couple of times," Kahlan started. "Although, I do have to admit that Moscow was a bit of a disappointment."

Hotch tensed inwardly. _Really, Babe? You're going to put down their country?_

Victor laughed. "Isn't it?"

The waiter passed out the rest of the drinks as Hotch relaxed.

"We did think Lake Baikal was beautiful."

Adrian smiled at some unknown memory. "You fish?"

Hotch smiled. "Some."

Cody stood up and held his beer up. "To new friends."

They all raised their drinks. "To new friends," they all said in unison and took a drink. Hotch's face showed how strong the vodka was and the Russians laughed at him.

Hotch took a slow deep breath. "Nothing like that back home," he told them sheepishly and they laughed some more.

"You two have any kids?" Cody asked.

Kahlan smiled sadly. "No. Fortune has not blessed us in that way."

Hotch grabbed her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Not for lack of want, though." Hotch noticed that got Felix's attention.

"You should adopt, there are plenty of children out there in need of parents," Ethan suggested.

"Tried," Hotch started. "The agencies seem to think our. . . lifestyle wouldn't be conducive to a stable environment."

Felix shot Cody a look.

"You see that? The Texan has to be the one in charge," Clyde told Emily with a grin.

"Ever travel to the middle east?" Cody asked as he studied them.

"Only when we have to," Hotch told him with a grin.

Cody nodded as if he knew exactly what Hotch was talking about.

"Is he trying to come off as some sort of arms dealer?" Clyde asked Emily. "He never said anything like that here."

"Chill, Clyde. He's being what he thinks they want him to be. I told you, he's the best."

"At figuring out criminals, yes, but these men are a whole new level of scum."

"But they are still criminals. Relax and enjoy the show," Emily urged as she sat back in her chair.

Kahlan took a drink of her beer and then sat it on the table next to her. "As much as I would love to sit here and chat all night," she started as she got up and turned to Hotch. "You promised me we would dance."

"What's she doing? He's actually getting somewhere with them." Emily asked as she sat up in her chair.

"Of course," Hotch said as he stood up and turned to the men. "What the lady wants, she gets," he told them with a smile.

They all stood up. "Maybe you can join us for another drink before the night ends," Felix suggested.

"We'll see," Kahlan told him with a smile and the Hotchners moved toward the door.

"Maybe I can see about getting some real music played," Cody called after them.

Kahlan laughed and Hotch held the door open for her as he turned back to them. "Thank you for the drink."

Vicktor nodded and Hotch shut the door behind them.

"What's wrong?" Hotch asked her quietly as they made their way away from the room.

"Nothing," Kahlan told him with a smile.

"Then why?" Hotch started to ask.

"I would think they are looking you up as we speak. We need to give them time to decide if they are going to trust us or not."

He nodded as he considered it. "Nice."

She smiled and led him to the dance floor. "How did you know they would react like that when you challenged Ethan?" she asked him quietly as he took her around the dance floor.

"It was the way they were looking at him. He is definitely on the bottom of the totem pole." He smiled as he looked at her. "The jealous husband impressed the Russians."

She giggled. "Oh, so that was just an act?"

He chuckled. "Sure it was." Her look told him she didn't believe him and he smiled. "How did you know insulting Moscow wouldn't offend them?"

She smiled. "I could tell from their accents that they are from southeastern region. I've never met anyone from that area that likes the bigger cities. That's why I brought up that lake."

He smiled. "Thank God you've traveled. I had no idea what you were talking about."

She beamed. "Figure it out yet?"

"I think so, but I want a little more time to be sure."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Care to give me a hint as to who you think is in charge?" Kahlan asked Hotch playfully as the song ended and he led her off the dance floor.

He smiled slyly. "Nope."

She wilted. "That's not fair."

He laughed. "Who do you think it is?"

She huffed. "I'm not telling you." She gave him a look that reminded him of Joey. "Besides, I'm probably wrong."

He chuckled. "Somehow I doubt that."

She smiled. "I need to use the facilities. Think you can behave if I leave you alone for a minute or two?"

He eyed her warily. "Are you sure that's all you are going to do?"

She giggled and walked away.

He shook his head as he watched her. _Kahlan, I swear, if you get yourself into trouble. . ._

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a small laugh and was almost startled by the woman who was suddenly beside him.

He smiled kindly at her and then tried to see Kahlan again. She was gone, though, and he wasn't sure she actually had gone to the restroom. _Damn it!_

"Normally a gentleman wouldn't leave a lady standing when such a lovely song is playing," the woman told him.

He looked around, not sure if she was talking to him or not. When she laughed at him, he knew she was indeed talking to him. "I'm terribly sorry, but I'm afraid I cannot dance."

Another woman came up to join them and the first woman smiled at her obviously knowing her. "Oh, don't try that. We've all seen you on the floor."

"And what a lovely dancer you are," the second woman put it with a nice smile.

Hotch fingered his wedding ring hoping they would get the hint. Both women were extremely beautiful and Hotch couldn't understand why they were talking to him and not some of the other younger, better looking men in the room.

"I think he's shy, Amelia," the first woman told the second with a little giggle.

Hotch licked his lips as another woman joined them. _Jesus Christ!_ Hotch looked around quickly expecting to see someone laughing at the joke they were pulling on him. "I'm here with my wife," he told them with a smile trying to be polite.

Amelia laughed. "And yet she has left you." Hotch took a deep breath as he looked at the three women.

The third woman giggled and went to touch the side of Hotch's head, but Hotch evaded her fingers. "Oh, he is shy."

"I really must go," Hotch tried as another woman walked up.

"Please don't leave," the first woman said as she put a hand on his forearm. "We promise not to hurt you."

He swallowed hard but tried to stay a gentleman. "Really, I don't think. . ."

"He is charming," the forth one said to the others and they all nodded their agreement.

"And he's American," Amelia pointed out.

Kahlan came back from the restroom and froze in her tracks. She noticed the several women around Hotch and she felt her hands ball into fists. _Really Aaron? Is this payback for that dance?_

Clyde hit Emily on the shoulder. "And we were worried about Agent Hotchner blowing it. I sure hope Kay has learned to control her anger." They could see by her camera that she was focused on Hotch.

Emily reached up and keyed the mic for Hotch's earwig only. "Hotch, you might want to do something. Kahlan's on your six and she's coming up fast."

Hotch mentally winced and quickly pushed the woman's hand off his arm. "Really ladies, I must excuse myself," Hotch told them as he took a step back trying to disengage from the circle of women before his wife reached him, but as his back touched something, he froze.

"Quite the fan club you have, dear," Kahlan said into his ear.

He took a deep breath and turned with a smile on his face. "Kahlan, darling."

She huffed and then looked at the women surrounding her husband. "Is there something I can help you ladies with?" she asked them in a not so civil tone.

The woman closest to her smiled. "He was standing here looking so lonely. We thought he might need some company."

"I can assure you, he has all the company he needs," Kahlan told them with a smile, but none of the women missed the ice in Kahlan's tone.

Amelia huffed but the women slowly started walking away.

Kahlan shook her head at her husband.

He held up his hands. "What? That was not me! They just started surrounding me," he told her quickly.

She smiled, grabbed his hand, and led him out of the room. "I don't doubt it. I guess I can't blame them with you looking so damn hot in that tux." He gave her a look that told her he didn't understand, and she laughed sadly. _Why can't you see how sexy you actually are, Aaron?_ She stopped and turned to face him as she put her arms around his neck. "You are the most handsome man here, Aaron," she told him seriously.

He huffed. "I think they had a bet or something to see who could humiliate the American first."

Kahlan sighed deeply. "Why must you doubt yourself?"

He gave her a crocked smile. "You're just biased."

She giggled. "That I am."

He pulled away from her and grabbed her hand. "Come on. Let's find someplace not so crowded," he told her and then took her into another room.

They found a room with a buffet and several little tables set up. He smiled at her. "Hungry?"

She laughed and they fixed a plate and sat down at a table in the corner. She gave him a disgusting look as he put caviar on a cracker and offered it to her. She scrunched up her face even more. "You do realize those are fish eggs, right?"

He laughed. "You could eat like this every day," he told her and then took a bite of the cracker.

She shook her head. "That would make it less special, wouldn't it?" she asked as she dipped a cool shrimp into cocktail sauce.

He smiled and shook his head as he looked at her.

"What?"

"Nothing," he told her and finished the cracker.

She studied him and put a hand on his arm. "Really, what are you thinking?"

He shook his head again and stuffed a bacon wrapped piece of melon into his mouth so he couldn't answer.

"Aaron Jackson! Don't make me hit you."

He almost choked with the threat, but he got melon down. He wiped his mouth with his napkin and locked eyes with her. "Sometimes I don't get it."

Her brows furrowed. "Get what?" she asked tenderly as she realized something was bothering him and she knew it had nothing to do with the op they were working.

His eyes darted around and she knew he was trying to find the right words. He finally looked into her eyes again. "You could live like this," he started as he gestured to everything around them. "And yet you chose to live a simple life."

She studied him. "Do you want to live like this?"

He put down his napkin and sat back in his seat. He knew she had enough money to give them that kind of life, but that wasn't what he was trying to say. He shook his head. "No. I wouldn't trade anything for the life we have. I'm perfectly happy with the way things are."

Her brows furrowed. "And you don't think I am?"

He shook his head again and scooted his chair forward so his legs touched hers. "I don't mean it like that." He licked his lips and took her hands in his.

"Then what are you getting at Aaron?" she asked as she tilted her head a little trying to figure him out.

"Why did you choose me when you could have had a man you could live like this with?"

She sighed sadly as she reached up and held the side of his face. "Because I fell in love with you," she told him seriously. He leaned into her hand and shut is eyes as he savored her touch. "Aaron," she started and waited until he opened his eyes and looked at her. She put her other hand on the other side of his face. "I have everything I want with you."

His eyes searched hers and the love he saw in them made his heart hurt a little because he had never really thought himself worthy of such love. _But you could have anything and everything you ever want with a man more your caliber._

As his eyes drifted down away from her gaze, she noticed his eyes watering. She shook her head sadly. "Hun?" When he didn't look at her she lifted his face so he had to. "Only you can make me this happy." His eyes cut to the side in disbelief and she let him go. "If I wanted this kind of life, I would have been living it way before I met you." He looked back to her. "Even though I craved adventure, I have always wanted the kind of life we live."

He huffed. "A simple life."

She smiled. "Our life is anything but simple, Hun." He shook his head and she put her hands on his knees and he looked at her. "I know you don't think you deserve it, and no matter what I do or how hard I try, you probably never will; but if you can't think of it as something you deserve then maybe you should be looking at it from my point of view."

His brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Do you think I deserve to be happy?"

He sat up quickly. "Of course."

"And if you had the ability you would give me everything I would ever want?"

He lifted his chin a little. "In an instant."

"Then stop second guessing yourself and give me what I want."

"And what is that?"

She put a hand on his chest. "You and your love."

His dimples showed as he smiled. "I can do that."

"Are you sure?" she asked as she grabbed his hands with hers and gave him a cocky grin. "Cause if not, I'm sure I could find someone else. . ."

He chuckled and put a hand behind her head. "Shut up and kiss me."

She giggled and let him pull her into a passionate kiss. Once she pulled away she looked at him. "Can we get back to why we're here?"

Both Emily and the tech had to wipe their eyes and they looked at each other and laughed. "I love these two," Emily told the tech as the van door opened and Clyde came back in. _Thank God he wasn't in here to see that._

Hotch laughed and stuck a finger sandwich into his mouth. She reached up with her napkin and wiped his lips as she laughed.

Once he swallowed he fixed her with a serious look. "You do realize they will probably want to sell us a child, right?"

"Yes, that's why I told them we didn't have any. I figured it was easier for them to think we were rich and wanted a child than to think we were weapons dealers or such and just happened to be at the same party as them."

"And a brilliant move that was." He studied her face. "Are you going to be able to handle that?" he asked her seriously knowing that children were her Achilles' heel.

She smiled slyly. "Are you afraid I'll lose my temper?"

He chuckled nervously. "Just a little."

She laughed. "I'll behave as long as they do."

He eyed her warily and ate another sandwich. _Why do you have to be so ambiguous sometimes, Babe?_

"So what do you think they think we do, or are, or whatever?" she asked him.

He furrowed his brows a little. "I'm not really sure. I don't think they have quite figured it out either."

"Maybe they think we do a little of everything."

"That would make our job easier."

"I wish we had Cam and Pen here," she said longingly.

He raised his brows. "Why is that? I'm sure Emily's techs have given us an interesting background."

She smiled deviously. "Yeah, but Cam and Pen could have traced what they were looking for and filled in the blanks as they searched."

"Hey! I've done that," the tech beside Emily exclaimed.

"We got this," Emily told the couple, and Kahlan laughed.

"What do we do if this takes more than one night?" Hotch asked everyone listening.

"We play the part and make it up to the kids when we're done," Kahlan told him with a smile.

"We'll have to mention how we're supposed to be somewhere important the day after tomorrow."

Kahlan looked at him questioningly. "Why?"

"We don't want them to think they can take their time."

She raised her brows and nodded. "At least we don't have to track them across different countries," Kahlan told him as she patted his leg. He looked at her questioningly. "Which is what I would have done in another time to really seal their fate."

He chuckled. "We'd just run into trouble with every new country we went to," he joked and she smacked him on the arm.

"Alright children," Clyde joked.

Kahlan rolled her eyes and then noticed Cody walk into the room. With the way his eyes were searching, she knew he was looking for them. She leaned into to talk to her husband quietly. "Do you think they would like to talk to you alone?"

He thought about it for a minute. "Possibly. They don't have any women with them. Maybe they are a little chauvinistic. Why?"

She smiled as she stood up. "Cause Cody is on his way over here. I'll go powder my nose," she told him as she started away from him, her hand trailing down his shoulder and his arm as she walked away slowly.

He sat up a little straighter and watched her walk away.

Cody smiled widely as he came up to him. "It's easy to see how much you love her," he told him as he sat down in the seat Kahlan had vacated.

"I'd do anything for her," Hotch told him seriously as he continued to watch his wife until she disappeared around the corner. He finally looked at the man with a smile. "She's my everything," he told him honestly.

"She knows what you do?"

Hotch smiled. "She's behind some of it."

Cody raised his brows in surprise. "Really?"

Hotch gave him a sly grin. "She's very resourceful."

Cody nodded. "Do you travel alone much?"

Hotch could see the concern in the man's eyes. "Some, although I hate it. Some places aren't exactly fitting for a woman, if you know what I mean."

Cody smiled knowingly. "Bet she gets lonely when you're gone."

Hotch nodded slowly as if thinking about it. He pictured all the times he had to leave her when he left for a case and the look of regret on his face was genuine. "I don't like it when she's alone."

"It's a shame you don't have any kids to keep her occupied," Cody told him as he studied Hotch.

Hotch smiled as he considered it. "I think she would have been a wonderful mother."

Cody licked his lips as he studied Hotch some more. "Ever consider getting one privately?"

Hotch's brows furrowed. "Privately?" He scooted forward in his chair. "You mean buy one?" Hotch asked quietly.

Cody looked around them to make sure no one was too close. "There are ways," is all he offered as he studied Hotch some more.

Hotch shook his head ruefully. "Tried that, but the deal fell through when the mother changed her mind. US courts don't support the potential parents; they protect the biological ones," Hotch told him as he let anger seep into his voice.

Cody smiled. "How about not going through the courts?" Hotch studied him, and when he didn't say anything, Cody went on. "Would you consider. . ."

Hotch sat back in his seat. "Any child you can get like that probably has all kinds of problems, like a junkie for a mother or. . ."

"No, no. That's not what I'm talking about at all," Cody told him as he held up a hand to stop Hotch.

Hotch relaxed and studied him some more. "I don't want some kid that's someone else's problem."

Cody smiled. "Of course not." He leaned forward. "What if I told you I can get you a healthy child?"

Hotch raised his chin and licked his lips. He looked to where Kahlan had disappeared for a few seconds and then back to Cody. "Apparently this isn't exactly on the up and up?" He shook his head. "With the way we travel and. . . such, I wouldn't want to have to explain anything to anyone."

Cody smiled again. "I can get all the proper paper work." He sat back and actually looked cocky. "I can even get a birth certificate that says you're the parents for the right price."

Hotch raised his brows in mock surprise. He twirled his wedding ring around on his finger as he considered it.

"You think the little lady would like something like that?"

Hotch smiled and rubbed a hand along his chin. "It would be it the one thing I have never been able to give her."

Cody scooted his chair even closer to Hotch. "All I would need to know is preferences."

"What kind of time frame would we be looking at? We can't stay in London for very much longer. . . we have prior obligations," Hotch told him with a grin.

Cody returned the grin. "If you have the money, I have the child." He sat back and let that sink in. "I might even have some other things you might be interested in."

Hotch ran a hand down his vest to straighten it out. "Really?" He studied the younger man some more. "And how would you know what I would want?"

Cody chuckled. "While I may not know specifics, it's obvious that the circles you travel in are indicators that you have your hands in a few things. You might even have some contacts I could use or I might have some that you can use."

Hotch quirked his brows and smiled. "I don't know about that, but I do like the idea of making my wife happier."

Cody chuckled again. "What do you think she'd want, a boy or girl?"

Hotch tilted his head a little as he thought about it. "What age are you talking?"

"Any age. Newborn might be a problem with the time constraints, but I would think anything else could be accomplished."

"It would have to be young enough to not remember anything before its life with us." He mentally cringed to be talking about a child as if it was an animal or something, but he knew that these men thought of the children as a cash crop, cattle more or less, so he had to play along.

Cody nodded. "And it should look like at least one of you so it looks more realistic, too."

Hotch smiled as he considered it and then leaned in to speak quietly. "Any way to actually pick one out?"

Cody looked shocked. "You want to browse the merchandise?"

Hotch sat up. "Why not? I'd like to kick the tires, if you know what I mean."

Cody huffed as he shook his head. "I don't know about that."

Hotch sat back, crossed his legs, and took a drink of his wine. "She has very specific tastes, and I only buy the best for her; but you think about it." He smiled; he liked playing the demanding rich guy.

Cody bit his lip and noticed Kahlan coming back towards them. "I'll let you know," he told Hotch quietly as he stood up so Kahlan could have her seat back.

Kahlan smiled warmly at him. "Couldn't get the music changed, huh?" she asked him as she sat down on Hotch's lap and he wrapped his arms around her.

Cody laughed. "The band's done at ten, and then there will be a DJ. You have to promise me a dance," he started and then looked at Hotch. "If your husband would allow it, of course."

Hotch chuckled. "What the lady wants, she gets."

Kahlan laughed lightly and Cody left them with a smile.

As soon as he was gone, Kahlan looked at Hotch. He grinned. "We're one step closer."

"Do you really think they will allow you to see where they have the children kept?" Emily asked him.

Kahlan looked at Hotch with shock and then smiled. "That was fast work."

He tugged at the collar of his shirt. "It's a little warm in here; let's step outside for a minute."

She covered up his mic with her hand and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "That's just because I'm sitting on your lap," she told him and then giggled. He gave her a look that told her to behave and tried to push her out of his lap, but she wrapped her leg around his and forced herself down into his lap some more as she scooted closer to his chest. "What?"

He felt his manhood twitch as she pressed her butt into him. "Kahlan," he breathed quietly hoping Emily and them couldn't hear him.

She giggled. "You can handle a little distraction, can't you?"

He tried to push her away again, but she still wouldn't budge. "Please, Babe."

She looked in his eyes. "Please?"

"Not like that," he told her quickly.

She laughed and got up. "Come on. Let's go so you can cool down."

He took a deep breath, stood up, and adjusted himself discretely. "You are mean."

She giggled and grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the balcony off the next room. He shook his head as he let her lead him.

Before they went out the door, Hotch noticed Cody talking to his four friends in a corner, and he smiled inwardly.

Once they were away from everyone, Hotch told her what had transpired with Cody in her absence. She paced a little as she considered the information and her eyes darted around quickly. Hotch studied her and he could almost see the wheels turning in her head.

In the van, Clyde was also pacing. "We can put them away for a long time if they actually take them to see any children they have."

"But?" Emily asked as she watched him.

He stopped and looked at her. "I was just thinking that if we can get a look at their contacts, we could take a lot of other people out of the picture, too."

Emily shook her head. "That wasn't part of the plan. They're supposed to get in, get close, and find out who is in charge, not do all that. He has already taken this way beyond what we expected." She didn't want to think of Hotch getting in any deeper than he already was. She may not work for him any longer but she still felt a strong need to protect him. She would never want to see him in danger, and she knew exactly how dangerous these men were. She took a deep breath as guilt made its way to the surface. _If I would have told them everything we know, he wouldn't be taking this so far._


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Hotch watched as Kahlan paced and he started to get an uneasy feeling. "What?"

She stopped and looked at him. "What do you think he meant about the contacts thing?"

Hotch studied her. "You want to take them all down?"

Clyde smiled as he listened to the couple, but Emily shook her head. "We need to tell them."

Clyde shook his head quickly. "No. Kay would never have let her husband do it if she knew the truth."

"And he wouldn't let her do it, if he knew!" Emily demanded.

He smiled. "Unless she has changed an awful lot, he wouldn't be able to stop her."

"It's not right, Clyde. They're my friends!"

"We do whatever is needed to get the job done even if that means using people."

She stood up defiantly. "If they try to take this any further, I will tell them."

He studied her and knew she was being completely serious. "If they decide to do it, but not before."

She huffed and left the van, slamming the door roughly. He looked at the closed door. _Even once they know, they'll still do it._

Kahlan turned away from Hotch and he went to her and turned her back around. "What are you thinking, Babe?"

"If all we do is cut off the head, another will grow in its place, but if we take out the whole thing, nothing will be left to grow."

He studied her. She was right, but he really didn't like the idea of her trying to take down the whole organization, and his internal alarms were deafening in his ears. "This coming from the woman who wanted to turn him down without even listening to him."

She sighed. "Because I knew I wouldn't be able to turn him down once I knew there was a problem."

"But we're on vacation. I would think that will take more time than we can invest."

She bit her lip as she considered it. Finally her shoulders slumped. "I know."

He put his hands on her waist. "And yet you still want to do it."

She sighed deeply. "Sorry. I know we need to do this and get back to the kids."

He studied her. "And yet, many more kids will be safe if we do it."

"I'm not trying to play on your want to make the world a safer place, Aaron. I'm just. . ."

"I know," he told her quickly. "Let's just see how things play out before we make any decisions."

She smiled. "Agreed. Hell, for all we know, they might just be trying to swindle some money out of us."

He laughed. "You know, I never even asked him how much this was going to cost."

She patted him on the chest. "That just played into the rich, spoiled guy persona. When you have enough money, you don't care how much something costs." He shook his head. "Just make sure you don't choke on your own tongue when they finally tell you the price."

He looked wounded. "I know how to play the part," he insisted. "I think I've done a pretty good job so far, too."

She smiled. "I'd say better than pretty good. You have been quite a joy to watch." Her head snapped to the opened doors as a familiar song started playing inside. She smiled.

Hotch looked at his watch. "I guess the orchestra is done."

"Are you going to behave if I dance with Cody?" she asked slyly.

He fixed her with his stare. "As long as all he wants to do is actually dance."

She giggled, grabbed his hand, and took him inside.

He chuckled. "Besides, I'm sure I can find someone willing to dance with me if I get too lonely."

She stopped so suddenly that he ran into her. She turned on him and the look she gave him made him step back a step. "If we're going to turn this into a competition to see who gets the most jealous, just remember what I can do to you if I really want to."

He swallowed hard. "I was just joking, Babe."

She gave him an evil grin. "Maybe I was, too," she told him and pulled him inside.

_Sure you were, Babe. Sure you were._ He shook his head and prayed that those women had left. _I know you wouldn't hurt me, but I'd hate to see what you'd do to them._

When they got to the edge of the dance floor, she kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be right back," she told him and left him quickly.

He watched her walking toward the DJ and then noticed Amelia smiling at him. He quickly looked the other way. _Lady, you have no idea the trouble you'd be getting yourself into._

Kahlan came back a few moments later and he looked at her questioningly. "What did you do?" he asked her once he saw the mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

"You'll see," is all she offered.

Once the song playing was done and the next one started, she smiled and pulled him onto the dance floor. He looked at her questioningly but pulled her close to him for the obvious slow song.

Before the lyrics started she looked him in the eyes. "My song to you," she told him tenderly as Celine Dion's 'I'm Your Lady' belted out of the speakers.

He took her around the dance floor as he listened to the words. His dimples shown with his wide grin as the chorus started and she quietly sang along in his ear. His alpha swelled because he loved being her man and he loved the fact that she truly was his lady. To know she was basically announcing it to the world made him feel more powerful than he had ever felt before. He glanced around the dance floor and realized that the few other couples that had decided to dance were keeping their distance from them. He chuckled inwardly. _Because they can feel the love emitting from us and they're jealous they don't have it._ He mentally shook his head. He knew that was his alpha talking, but at that particular point in time, he didn't care.

Once the song was done, he smiled as he led her to the side of the dance floor. "Was that your subtle way of telling every woman here that I'm yours?"

She giggled. "And every man that I'm yours."

He shook his head at her and then noticed their five unsubs watching them and leaned in to give Kahlan a quick kiss. "It looks like they want to talk. I'll go grab us a drink," he told her and started away from her.

She smiled and made her way to a seat as she watched him leave. She saw the men starting to follow him and she tensed a little. "Watch him," she told the mic quietly.

"Of course," came Clyde's voice in her ear.

_And where is Emily?_ She didn't like the feeling she was getting and she was tempted to get up and follow her husband. _No, he can take care of himself. _She took a deep breath. _Besides, we're in a very public place and even they wouldn't be so bold._ She looked towards where he had disappeared. _Or at least, they better not be._ She shook her head. _I really wish Chuck was here._

The Swedish man made it to him first. "Where are you staying?"

Hotch huffed and gave him a look of disbelief. "In town," is all he offered.

The man looked stunned as his friends joined them. "What? Don't trust us?"

Hotch chuckled. "The only person I trust is my wife."

Adrian laughed. "Told you he was a smart man."

Hotch shot him a look. "I have been around the block a time or two."

"Are you available tomorrow afternoon?" Cody asked him with a grin.

Hotch eyed him warily. "That depends on if it is going to worth my time."

Ethan smiled. "Busy schedule, huh?"

"My time is very valuable," Hotch told him with a cocky grin as he grabbed two glasses of wine and headed away from the men and back towards his wife.

"Just hold your horses a sec," Cody told him as he grabbed Hotch's arm. Hotch's stare emerge as he looked at the man's hand on him and then slowly moved to look the man in the eyes. Cody quickly let go of him. "Sorry."

Hotch slowly stared all five men down. "I brought my wife here to show her a good time, not to spend most of it with you gentlemen, so you'll have to excuse me if I find her a little more attractive than your ugly mugs."

The Russians laughed and moved to allow him to return to his wife.

Hotch took a deep breath and let a smile return to him before he got to Kahlan. He didn't want her to see him wearing his work face because he knew that would worry her even if it didn't mean anything. "Here you go," he told her as he noticed the men come into the room. He sat down and smiled at her.

She took a drink of the wine and smiled back at him. "Why do you look like the cat that ate the canary?"

He smiled deviously. "I think might have impressed them a little more."

She laughed lightly. "Well, of course you did."

Hotch's eyes shifted and she knew someone was walking up behind her. Cody smiled as he looked at her. "How about that dance?" he asked as stuck out his hand.

She laughed. "I'm not exactly dressed to do the two-step."

He chuckled. "I can see that, besides I left my boots in the hotel, but I think a nice slow song would work." Hotch eyed him coldly and his stare came back. "Calm down partner. A good country boy knows how to treat a lady."

Hotch gave him a cold smile. "You better."

Kahlan fought hard to keep the grin off her face and a new song started. "I would love to," she told Cody as she grabbed his hand and let him lead her onto the floor.

Hotch watched them closely as the other four men joined him at the table. "How does two sound?" Felix asked him.

"Is the selection going to be decent?" Hotch asked without taking his eyes off Kahlan.

"You want more than one?" Ethan asked flabbergasted.

Hotch shot him a look and then shook his head.

Adrian laughed. "He just wants to make sure he's getting the best, Eth."

"She'll want to spend some time with them, too," Hotch started and then finally looked at them. "You know, see which one she really likes."

Felix nodded. "You want to see personalities."

Hotch went back to watching his wife. "Unless that would be a problem."

"Have you told her?" Vicktor asked.

"No. I wouldn't want to get her hopes up just to find out you can't deliver," Hotch told him dryly.

"I assure you Mr. Jackson, we can deliver many things," Felix assured him.

"Here in London?" Hotch asked.

"No, but it won't take us long to get you there," Ethan told him.

Hotch shook his head. "Forget it," he told them and stood up. Kahlan noticed him stand up and mentally tensed.

"What?" Adrian asked him quickly as they all stood up, too.

"If you think we are naive enough to get in a vehicle with you to go to some undisclosed location, you are dumber than the Australian."

Adrian appraised him and then smiled. "Of course not. But you can understand why we couldn't give the address until right before you would need it."

Hotch relaxed a little and sat back down with a smile. "Of course."

"So you're interested in what, three and under?" Felix asked him as they sat back down.

Hotch quirked his brows as he thought about it. He mentally cringed as he imagined scared little kids locked up somewhere. "Hell, might as well see the lot." He smiled at him. "Never know what will catch her eye." He didn't want to think about the older children being somewhere else and not being rescued.

Felix looked at the Russians so quickly that if Hotch hadn't been a damn good profiler, he might have missed it. "That's fine. Do you think she might actually want more than one?"

Hotch shrugged. "It's hard to tell." He chuckled as if thinking. "I might even want one," he told them with a smile and they looked at him questioningly. "Maybe I might want a son to groom to take over the family business someday."

Vicktor laughed. "You American's and your legacies."

Hotch shrugged. "You mean you don't have a son to pass the torch to?"

He smiled. "Maybe."

Hotch studied him. "No. . . It's a girl."

Vicktor swallowed uncomfortably and Hotch knew he was right. "How could you possibly know that?" he asked him seriously.

Hotch could hear the anger seep into his tone. He also noticed Adrian tense ever so slightly. _Oh, hit a nerve, have I?_ He smiled at him. "I am very good at reading people. It's one of the things that makes me so successful at what I do."

Clyde looked at the tech. "I don't care what you have to do, find me that child!" The tech quickly nodded as her fingers flew across her keyboard.

Vicktor studied Hotch some more and then finally smiled. "I suppose that's true."

Hotch shrugged again and stood up as Kahlan made her way back to him. He smiled at her as he reached into his back pocket and withdrew a business card. "My cell number is on the back. Call if you think you can actually be of service," he told Felix as he handed him the card.

They all stood up as Felix took the card. "Of course."

He nodded at them and then led Kahlan into another room. Kahlan smiled as she saw the men sit back down at the table. Hotch noticed her grin. "What?"

"I left a listener under the table. Emily should be hearing some very interesting things right about now."

Hotch chuckled. "Of course you did."

She looked at him and noticed that he couldn't keep a grin off his face. "You've figured it out."

He chuckled. "Come on," he told her as he pulled her further away from everyone else.

Emily laughed. "I knew it! He has done, in a couple hours, something your people haven't been able to do for months!" Clyde shrugged and Emily laughed even harder. "I told you Aaron Hotchner was the best!"

"And I'm glad you suggested it when they showed up," he told her honestly.

Guilt panged her a little more and she lost some of the elated feeling. "Now we need to get them out of there."

He shook his head. "Not yet." When she was about to argue he smiled. "Do you actually think he would allow you to pull him out without him trying to save those children first?"

She gave him a dirty look, but she knew he was right. Hotch was too much of a saint to walk away now even if he knew the risks. "You're right, but I am still telling them before they walk into that blind tomorrow."

He grinned. "Go ahead; they won't change their minds now."

Emily shook her head because she knew he was right.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Hotch pulled Kahlan back out to the balcony and put his arms around her waist. "I guess now all we have to do is wait."

Kahlan tensed in his hands and he looked at her questioningly. Her look told him not to ask and she turned them around as she laughed lightly. "I'm thirsty," she told him and then grabbed his hand and pulled him back inside. He followed without comment and she led him back to the room with the buffet. "Have a seat. I'll get it this time," she told him with a smile and left him to sit down alone.

He watched her closely. _What the hell, Babe?_ He sighed and relaxed as she only went to the buffet and grabbed them two bottles of water. She made her way back to him and he saw her tense again. She handed him the bottle and then leaned down to give him a kiss. "I need to check something, I'll be back," she told him quietly and then stood up.

His look told her to be careful and she winked at him.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked him in his ear.

He opened the bottle and held it up in front of his mouth. "Don't know," he said quietly and then took a drink. "Watch her," he quickly added and feigned a cough.

"Yep," Emily assured him.

After several minutes, he was starting to get worried. After several more, he wanted to get up and go in search of her. Instead, he took out his phone and then held it up to his ear. "Where is she and what is she doing?" he asked.

Emily laughed. "That's a great cover, Hotch."

"Yeah," he laughed to let anyone watching think he was having a good conversation. "Just tell me, please."

"Oh, sorry. Of course. She's walking through one of the rooms. I'm not sure what she's doing. Do you want me to ask her or tell her you're worried?"

He took a deep breath. "No. As long as she's alright."

"She looks like she's hunting," Clyde told him.

Hotch licked his lips and sat up straighter. "Is there something I need to know?"

"What do you mean?" Clyde asked quickly as he shot Emily a look.

"Has someone she knows shown up or something? You all have been keeping an eye on the other guests, right?"

Emily tensed. "Why do you ask that?" She shot a look to Clyde. They hadn't thought about anyone else, just their five unsubs.

Hotch shook his head. "Really, Emily? She has seen more people that she knows in the short time we have been here than she has in all the years I've known her." He stood up. "Which way?"

"You think she might have seen someone she knows?" Clyde asked. "Surely any of her friends would be smart enough not to blow your cover."

"Which way?" Hotch demanded again as he moved toward the door.

"To the left and then through the long room and then to the right," Emily told him quickly.

"It's not friends I'm worried about," Hotch told them as he put his phone away and went through the rooms in search of his wife.

"Bloody hell! You think she might have seen an old enemy?"

Hotch hurried his pace a little as his imagination started to run away from him.

"Slow down, Hotch. You don't want to draw attention to yourself," Emily told him.

Hotch forced himself to take a deep breath and slowed down.

"To your right," Emily told him as soon as he made it through another doorway.

"There's no one around her. She is physically fine," Clyde assured him.

"Right around the next corner," Emily told him.

He put a smile on his face before he turned the corner and relief washed over him when he saw that she was truly alright. She gave him a puzzled look. He went up to her. "There you are. I was starting to think you had ditched me for someone else," he joked.

She appraised him and then gave him a sad smile as she pulled him into a hug. With the way he latched onto her she could tell he had been worried. "Oh, Hun." She felt him take a deep breath as he still held her. "I'm sorry," she told him once he pulled away.

He looked at her sheepishly. "You were gone too long."

She put her hand in his and leaned in close as they started through the room together. "I thought I saw something and wanted to check it out."

Hotch nodded. "Anything I need to be worried about?"

She smiled. "Of course not," she started as she tapped him on the chest. "But I didn't want to look suspicious, so I decided to take the long way back around. I didn't mean to scare you."

Hotch studied her and knew there was more to it than that, but he could tell she didn't want to discuss it with others listening so he let it drop. "How about one more dance and we get the hell out of here?"

She smiled. "And we need to go to a hotel alone. We wouldn't want anyone to see anything."

Emily looked at Clyde and they both knew she was talking about them. Emily keyed the mic. "We already have a suit booked for you. The limo will know where to take you and your stuff is already there."

"We can meet in the morning," Hotch told her as he led Kahlan to the dance floor.

"I'll be morning room service," Emily told them.

Kahlan laughed. "The place better be nice. We left a five star suit to do this."

"It will be reflective of the status you are trying to pull off," Clyde assured them.

Hotch laughed. _You just don't know, do you? She isn't trying to pull off being rich; she is._ He stopped at the edge of the dance floor and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be right back," he told her and then went to the DJ.

Kahlan laughed as she watched him and out of her peripheral view she saw one of the men she had suspected of watching Hotch. Her jaunt through the rooms proved to her that they had been watching Hotch, and not her. The hairs on the back of neck stood up. _Why is he watching you, Aaron? That man is a killer._ She took a deep breath and loosened the decorative brace on her right arm. She needed to be able to get into it in a hurry if the situation changed rapidly.

Hotch came back with a smile on his face. "I hope you wanted one more slow song," he told her as he moved in behind her and put his head on her shoulder.

She smiled and turned in his arms, put her arms around his neck, and turned them some more. She wanted to keep the man in her side view and her husband's back out of the man's view. "It's not going to be the Beatles, is it?" she joked.

He laughed. "No, but you dedicated one to me, so I had to do one for you." He studied her and the smile left him. His look asked her what was wrong, but she shook her head slightly to let him know she wasn't going to say anything. He took a deep breath and tried to take a look around them to see if he could see what had her so on edge, but she pulled him into a kiss to stop him. He accepted her direction with a sigh and then smiled again as the song drew to an end.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the floor. He found a spot, turned to her, and pulled her close as Tim McGraws' 'My Best Friend' started. "My song to you," he told her quietly. "Listen to the words because they are completely true."

As he moved them around, her head rested on his chest. After several lines, she teared up. "Ohhh, Hun."

"Shhh, just listen."

After the first chorus, she finally smiled and held onto him tighter as he ran a hand down the side of her face and wiped a stray tear away. "Every line fits me perfectly," he told her softly.

After the next set of lines, her bottom lip was quivering slightly as more tears escaped. He held her out a little to get a better look at her face because he could feel her starting to tremble. "Babe?"

She smiled up at him. "You're my best friend, too, Hun," she told him tenderly.

He reached up and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "I found this song forever ago, but I wanted to wait until the perfect time to play it for you. I know you've probably heard it a thousand times, but. . ."

"The lyrics mean a whole lot more knowing they are coming from you."

His dimples showed with his cheesy grin. "So you like it?"

She shook her head and then snuggled back up against him. "No, Aaron, I love it."

He put his arms around her and couldn't get the grin off his face as he felt her sigh contently against him. His smile never left him as he led her around the floor for the rest of the song.

Once it was over, he took her hand. "Let's get out of here."

She noticed the man walk out of the room by one door and another come in through another. "Yeah. Let's get out of here."

He nodded and headed for the door. They stopped, got their coats, and signaled for their limo. As soon as it pulled up, Hotch held her hand as she got in and he stepped to get in when he saw Cody on the steps. Hotch paused for a second as he looked at him. Cody nodded and then Hotch got in without another glance.

He scooted closer to Kahlan and she put a finger to his lips to let him know she didn't think it was safe for them to talk. He looked at her questioningly and then smiled a devious grin. "The night's still young. You're not too tired are you?"

She giggled. "I'm sure we can find something to do to pass the time away."

"You all do know we can still hear you, right?" came Emily's voice in their ears.

"Not for long," Kahlan said aloud and winked at her husband.

"I was talking about playing cards." He laughed and sat back to relax with her hand in his.

The limo pulled up to the Landmark London Hotel. The driver got out and opened their door. "The Presidential Suit is yours and all of your things have already been taken up," he told them as he handed Hotch the keycard.

"Thank you," Hotch told him and led Kahlan inside. They made their way to the suit and Hotch unlocked the door.

"Well, it's not the castle, but it'll do," Kahlan said dryly but winked at Hotch to let him know she was only saying it for Clyde. She went to her bag and dug out a little black box. He looked at her questioningly, and she smiled deviously as she stepped up to him and took the earwig out of his ear and dropped it in the box. He laughed as soon as he realized that it was the box they had used in the warehouse to silence to the bugged pen they had discovered. He took off the cameras and mics and put them in the box, too.

"What are you two doing?" Clyde asked quickly once he realized they were messing with his equipment.

"Nothing," Kahlan said innocently as she removed her spy gadgets.

"We need to talk," Clyde tried but Kahlan had removed her earwig and put it in the box, too. "Kay! Agent Hotchner!" Clyde tried again. When he didn't get a response, Emily laughed.

"I think they want to be alone," she told him as she continued to laugh.

Clyde looked at the tech. "Switch over to the other signal, and let's get out of here," he told her and the driver.

Once Hotch and Kahlan had silenced the gadgets, she put that box on the table and took out another object out of her bag that Hotch had never seen. He watched as she turned the object on and started scanning the room. She got a disgusted look on her face and went to the table in the dining room and pulled a bug out of the flower arrangement.

Hotch's face showed his anger. "You mean. . ."

Kahlan silenced him with a finger and checked out the rest of the suit. Once she was done, she had found a bug in every room. She opened the little black box and dumped them in. As soon as the lights on the top of the box turned green she shook her head in disgust.

A horrible, high pitched, static, filled the van and every person in it covered their ears quickly as the tech reached up and silenced it. "I swear to God!" Clyde exclaimed.

Emily laughed some more. "You really thought you were going to get away with that?" she asked him incredulously.

"I didn't think she'd have that kind of equipment with her," he told her sheepishly.

"You better hope you didn't piss them off enough to want to back out."

He shook his head. "They wouldn't back out." He thought about it and winced. "She might hit me, though."

Emily laughed. "You'll be lucky if Hotch doesn't hit you."

He huffed. "That would be a welcome thing compared to what Kay can do," he told her dryly.

She snorted. "I just hope they believe me when I tell them I had nothing to do with that."

**XXXXX**

"Are we truly alone, now?" Hotch asked as she put the little box back in her bag.

"Yep, and I'm going to kill him!" she told him as he pulled her to him.

He laughed. "He probably wanted to keep an eye on us."

"There was one on the bedroom and in the bathroom, too."

He stepped back from her. "I'm going to kill him," he told her as his hands balled into fists.

She laughed at him and turned and picked up her hair. "Unzip me."

He took a deep breath to calm himself down and reached up and pulled her dress's zipper down slowly. He leaned down and started a trail of kisses as the zipper opened and exposed her skin. She whined in pleasure as he kissed all the way down her back and then slipped the dress off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. That's when he saw a holster strapped to her right thigh and a knife sheath strapped to her left. "Damn, Babe. Were you expecting a fight?"

She reached down and unstrapped them as she smirked at him. "Apparently no more than you, your pistol is on your ankle."

He chuckled and bent down to take it off. "Better to have and not need it. . ."

"Then need it and not have it," she finished with a smile for him using her dad's saying.

He chuckled as he took off his jacket and then started unbuttoning his vest. "So is this mine?"

She smiled. "Yep, and I hope you wear it to the next ball so everyone can see you in it."

"Only if you wear that dress again," he told her slyly knowing she was referring to the Bureau Ball.

"Grab the case for this," she told him as she took off the necklace he had given her.

He took the box out of his bag, opened it, and held it out so she could put the pieces back in it. "You really like them?"

She smiled. "Of course I do," she told him seriously as she took out the earrings and laid them in the box gently. "You weren't supposed to spend your money on me, though."

He huffed. "What else am I supposed to spend my pay on? You haven't let me pay any of the bills since we got married."

"You're supposed to spend it on yourself."

"I do," he defended himself.

She laughed. "What was the last thing you bought yourself, Aaron, those new running shoes almost a year ago?"

He shrugged. "They are getting a little worn out." She shook her head at him. "What? Every time I decide I need something, you buy it for me before I even have a chance."

"I can't help it. I love spoiling you."

He put his hands around her waist. "You spoil me and the kids more than you spoil yourself. I thought it was about time I tried to spoil you."

"Your love spoils me. You don't have to buy me anything," she insisted but knew it would do no good.

"As soon as I saw them, I thought of your eyes." He smiled. "I just had to have them for you."

She giggled. "And know I know why."

He put the box back safely in his bag and then pulled his tie off. He started unbuttoning his shirt and blushed a little when he realized she was staring at him. "What?"

"That blue really does look good on you. I'll have to find you a dress shirt like it so you can wear it to work."

He beamed. "I can hear the shit I'll get already."

She laughed as she picked up her dress and he grabbed a hanger and held it up as she hung the dress on it and then put the garment bag around it. He took off his vest and shirt and she took them and hung them on a hanger and then stuck her hand out for his pants. He moved his brows playfully as he started to unbutton and unzip them slowly.

She laughed. "You better watch it or I'll get some music for you to do that to."

He balked and then took them off quickly as she giggled. He handed them to her and she hung them up and then handed him all of the hangers and he put the garment bag around them and hung them in the closet next to her dress. He took a deep breath as he looked at her in her matching black, lace bra and panty set.

She took her hair down and noticed him staring. "What?"

The need to kiss her became too strong, so he glided over to her, put one hand behind her head, and the other at the small of her back and pulled her into a kiss full of the lust he was feeling.

She deepened the kiss and their tongues battled for dominance. She finally had to pull away when sparks in her closed eyes told her the need for oxygen was getting dangerously high. She breathed heavily trying to catch her breath as he continued to kiss her neck and shoulders as he moved them toward the bed.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Hotch awoke to Kahlan starting to stretch in his arms. He smiled as she snuggled back up against him and smiled up at him. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her on the top of her head. "Morning, babe."

"Morning, Hun. How'd you sleep?"

He chuckled. "Like a cat on a window sill."

She laughed. "I do think you were purring at one point last night."

"You make me purr," he told her as he scooted up into a sitting position.

She got up and went to her bag. When he was about to ask what she was doing she held a finger to her lips, so he watched her as she took something out of her bag and then went to the bank of windows. She stood the thing up and within seconds it looked like a mini umbrella that the wind had blown inside out. She smiled as she made her way back to him. She leaned down to give him a kiss. "Now no one can hear us."

Horror filled his face. "You think Emily and them were listening to us?"

She giggled as she made her way to the bathroom. "Or our unsubs."

"Jesus Christ, Babe! Why didn't you set that damn thing up last night?" he asked her as he slipped on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.

She laughed. "If they were keeping tabs on us, they needed to see that we were just a couple enjoying their vacation." She emerged with her pajamas on and took in how pale he was and she felt a little guilty. "I don't know that they were," she offered innocently.

He took a deep breath and prayed that no one had been listening. He shook his head and sat on the bed.

She sat beside him and looked at him seriously. "I think you need to talk to Emily."

He looked at his watch. "She should be here soon," he told her and then realized her look meant something else. "About what?"

Kahlan got up and started to pace a little.

"Babe?"

"She's holding out on you."

"What do you mean?" he asked as he went up to her and halted her pacing with a hand on her arm.

She sighed and put her arms around his neck. "I know you love her and trust her because she was part of your team, Hun, but she just as much a spy now as she was when she was younger."

He studied her. "She wouldn't hold out on me." She raised her brows. He shook his head and stepped back from her. "You know something."

"Only what I observed last night."

"You saw something that bothered you because you weren't tense until you saw it. The unsubs didn't bother you before that." She bit her lip. "Just tell me," he pleaded.

"Maybe you should ask Em," she told him as she went to her bag to get her clothes. "I could just be paranoid."

He huffed. "If I can't trust your instincts, then I can't even trust my own," he told her as he pulled her to the table and made her sit down and he sat down next to her. "Tell me what you saw and what you are thinking."

"You're going to be mad."

He closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes and his work face emerged. "Tell me."

"I think our unsubs are dangerous as hell."

"The five guys?"

"Maybe not them physically, but the men under them definitely are, and they only follow orders."

He thought back to the night before. "There was something you wouldn't let me see."

"It's not that I didn't want you to see them. . ."

As he pictured it in his mind, he realized that wasn't it at all. "No, you kept putting yourself in between me and it," he shook his head. "It was someone else, and he bothered you so much that you thought you needed to shield me?"

"One of them was a stone cold killer, Aaron. I could see it in his eyes."

"One of them?" He got up roughly and turned away from her as he felt his anger rising. "So you're saying Emily and Clyde have pulled us into something really dangerous?"

She sighed and went and put a hand on his shoulder. "Aaron, Emily only wanted us to go in and get out. She probably didn't realize you would get us this far with them."

He turned to her and she could see the anger in his eyes. "She should have told us!"

"Clyde probably wouldn't let her. He is so used to using people. . ."

"She is my friend! I wouldn't have done it to her!"

She put a hand on his chest. "But you are a rare man, Aaron," she told him with a smile. "She probably thought we were perfectly safe doing what they wanted. You are the one who took this further."

He relaxed a little as he considered it. "Clyde knew that if they told us, I wouldn't have agreed to do it. They both know I would never want you to be in on something dangerous." He shook his head.

"And now we can't back out."

He huffed. "Of course not. Not when we may actually have a chance at saving some of those kids."

She put her arms around his neck again. "Don't be mad at Em."

He smiled. "If I know her, she's probably tearing herself up enough for it."

She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "You are going to be ok with today, right?"

"Maybe you should stay here," he started and she pulled away from him quickly.

"Don't start that, Aaron. I don't trust Clyde to protect you if it comes to that." She could tell he was about to argue. "Besides, you're the one who told them you wanted me to be able to pick a child out. It won't work without me."

He sighed heavily as his shoulders drooped. "What if those men are there?"

She could see the concern in his eyes. "Remember, together we can do anything."

He smiled weakly, but worry for his wife was making his gut tighten.

A knock on the door signaled Emily's arrival. Kahlan shot him a look and then went to the door.

As soon as Emily came in the door, Hotch fixed her with his stare, and she froze in her tracks; her hands holding a tray of coffees and a bag of muffins.

"Aaron!" Kahlan exclaimed and smacked him on the chest.

Emily quickly put her items on the table and looked at Hotch. "I am so sorry, Hotch," she told him honestly because she could tell they had deduced some things about their unsubs.

He shook his head at her, and she could see the disappointment in his eyes. "I would have never thought I couldn't trust you, Prentiss."

Hearing her maiden name drove home the betrayal she felt. "You weren't supposed to be doing this today. You were supposed to get in there, work your magic, and then get out. You'd be safely back at that castle if you weren't so damn good at your job!"

He huffed and looked away from her.

Kahlan saw a ghost of a smile cross his lips and she knew Emily's compliments had softened him just like she had planned. _Damn, Em, I think I would have loved working with you._ "You need to tell us everything, Em, so we can be prepared for our meet today."

Emily looked at her. "I am sorry, Kahlan. I would have told you had I known."

"I know," Kahlan told her as she glanced at her husband who had yet to turn back around to look at them again. "But we need to know the truth."

"We can't talk here," Emily started.

Kahlan smiled. "Yes we can."

Emily looked at her questioningly. "But Clyde. . ."

Hotch finally turned to her. "I don't want to hear it from Clyde! I want to hear it from you."

Emily sighed and sat down in one of the chairs around the table. Kahlan went to Hotch and pushed him toward the table to sit down and she sat down next to him. Emily quickly gave them their coffees and took a deep breath.

Hotch took a drink of his as he patiently waited for Emily to start. When she seemed hesitant he put his coffee down and looked at her. "Exactly how dangerous is today going to be?"

She winced and he felt his stomach flip. "I need to fill you in on the back story. When they first showed up on our radar, Clyde sent a team out so they could figure out who they were and such."

Kahlan studied her. "And they ended it up dead."

Emily's look told her that she was right, and Hotch shook his head. She sighed. "Yes, but we didn't know exactly what happened, so we didn't realize it was our guys for sure." She started picking at her nails and Hotch knew how bad it was. "So Clyde sent out a few specialized people just to do surveillance. After they got some stuff and we knew they were trying to set up a branch here in England, he sent a couple more people out."

"Assassins," Kahlan put in.

Hotch shot her a look of disbelief and then looked at Emily. "Is she right?" he asked and Emily could tell from his tone that he hoped Kahlan was wrong.

Emily winced. "Yes."

Hotch got up roughly and walked away from the table shaking his head the whole way.

"Hotch. . ." Emily started but Kahlan held up her hand to stop her.

"Just tell us what else has happened. Apparently the assassins were killed?"

Emily looked at Hotch for another moment and then looked at Kahlan. "Yes, but again, we didn't have any clue as to who had actually done it. So we started following them from a distance. That is when we realized we had no idea who the actual leader was." She paused and looked at Hotch again. "So we've been watching them and trying to build a case. . . And then you showed up and we knew about the Gala. . ." she got up and went to him. "It was my idea to ask you. It's my fault you are in this."

Hotch turned around to look at her. "So everyone who has gotten close to these men has been killed, and when I show up your first thought is to have me try to do your job for you?"

Emily shook her head. "No," she told him as she picked at her nails. "Well, not exactly."

"I came here on vacation with my family! Your husband fed my kids! And you show your loyalty to me by allowing me to put my wife in a situation like that?"

Kahlan shot him a look. _Of course you're not mad about the danger she has put you in; you're just mad because of me._

His anger made Emily wilt a little. "No! We were discussing the unsubs a couple days after I saw you, and I made the statement that if it was your case you would have been able to figure out who was on top easily. I was just making conversation and Clyde. . ."

Hotch ran a hand down his face. "Clyde can go to hell! You had the chance to tell us, and you chose not to. Even if you truly thought we were safe, you should have told us!" He shook his head. "Did you know their goons were there? Did you know that the men who probably killed your agents were there?"

"What?!" The look of shock on her face told them she didn't.

He huffed and turned away from her again.

"How do you know that?" Emily asked him quickly.

He turned back around so quickly that she took a step back. "Because Kahlan saw them!" he told her as he pointed to his wife. Kahlan was still sitting at the table quietly letting him handle the conversation.

Emily turned to her with shock. "How?"

"I didn't see them," Hotch started and Emily looked back to him. "Had I known there were other men in the picture, I might have been on the lookout, but since all I knew about was the five, I concentrated on them."

Emily turned back to Kahlan. "Are you sure? We have never seen anyone else."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure," is all Kahlan offered.

"When you got Hotch the water? That's what you were doing?"

Kahlan shrugged. "I felt we were being watched and I decided to check it out. There were three of them."

"Oh my God, I am so sorry," she told her quickly and looked back to Hotch. "We had no idea," she entreated. "I swear to you, Hotch."

Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose. "Where does this leave us for today?" he asked both women.

"Sit down, Hun," Kahlan told him as she held his coffee out for him.

He sighed and did and Emily sat down, too. "Did you make sure to get them on your feed?" she asked Kahlan.

"Of course. Show me the feed and I'll show them to you."

Emily started nodding as she was thinking. "With the locators Kahlan placed, we were able to find out where they were staying. We can just track them to wherever they go next. You two don't have to do anything else."

Hotch started shaking his head. "They might not go to the kids without us." He took a deep breath. "No. We started it and we'll finish it."

"But those new men might be. . ."

"We will finish it," he told her in a tone that told her not to argue.

Emily looked at Kahlan pleadingly. "You could tell what type of men they were. . ."

"And we'll finish it."

Emily shook her head. "You are just as stubborn as he is!" she exclaimed as she stood up and turned away from them.

Kahlan shot Hotch a quick grin, and he returned it.

"Do you have a laptop?" Emily asked as she turned back to them.

Kahlan got up to get it and sat it down in front of Emily. She started typing as soon as she had it open and on the internet. "We have a secure server." After a lot of clicks and typing she showed Kahlan the video from her camera. Kahlan fast forwarded it to the end and then pointed the three men out. Emily froze the images and then sent them in an email to work. "I'll get them started on it right away. Are you going to wait here for the call?"

Hotch nodded. "Yes. I suddenly don't fell like being too exposed in the city," he told her dryly, and Emily winced.

"You'll need a car," Emily started.

"No. I will take care of that if you don't mind. The less we have to do with you and your group the better," Kahlan told her.

Emily looked at her questioningly. "Why?"

Kahlan bit her lip and cut her eyes away from her.

"Kahlan?" Hotch asked as he put his hand over hers.

She shook her head and looked back at them both. "Well, either these men are really, really, good; or you have a leak. Either way, I don't like it."

Emily balked. "You think that is why all of our agents have been killed?"

"Oh no." Hotch's face lost all of its color as he considered the implications and studied his wife's face. "You think it's a leak."

"In my experience, no one is that good," is all she offered.

"Then you definitely can't do it!" Emily demanded. "If it is truly a leak, you could already be compromised."

Hotch ran a hand down his face. "And if there isn't and we don't do this, those kids might not have a chance." He looked at Kahlan.

"Welcome to the world of spies, Hun."

He huffed. "The more I see of it, the more I hate." Kahlan gave him a small smile to apologize and he sat back in his seat. After a few heart beats, he smiled. "Is it too late to say I want to go someplace nice for vacation? Maybe someplace like Disney World?"

Kahlan and Emily both laughed.

He stood up and looked at Emily. "Get your Garcia on those men and find out all you can about them, and send us a file of what you complied on our quartet."

"Right," she told him with a smile and then left.

Kahlan laughed as she shook her head as soon as the door shut behind her.

"What?" Hotch asked as he picked up his coffee and then took a drink.

Kahlan got up and put her arms around his neck. "You."

"Me? What about me?"

"You just told the head of London's Interpol how to do her job as if she was still your employee." He winced as he thought about it. "You probably have most of the London office doing your bidding right now."

"I overstepped my bounds?"

She laughed, and leaned up to give him a kiss. Once she pulled away, he looked at her questioningly. "I love my supreme alpha."

He shook his head and blushed a little.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Kahlan shoved Hotch toward the bathroom. "Go take your shower and get ready. I have a couple calls I need to make."

He raised his brows as he appraised her, but he knew she wasn't to elaborate so he grabbed his clothes and went to the restroom to get ready.

By the time he emerged, Kahlan was quietly eating one of the muffins Emily had brought. He sat down beside her and looked at her. "So?"

"What?" she asked innocently and pushed the bag of muffins towards him.

He ignored the bag. "Did you get what you wanted?"

"You need to eat, Aaron. If you don't want one of those, I can order you room service."

"I'm not hungry. What did you do?"

"Eat or I won't tell you," she told him with an evil grin.

He shook his head. "What the hell is it with you and Donna and blackmailing me into eating?"

She took a muffin out of the bag and put it in front of him. "If you won't take care of yourself than we have to do it."

He huffed, took a big bite of the muffin, and then gave her a look that said 'happy?'

She shook her head at him and he raised his brows. "I called and got us a car and some other stuff."

He took a drink of his coffee to help him swallow the muffin. "You're going to make me drag it out of you aren't you?"

She smiled and got up. "I'm going to get ready."

"Kahlan! Tell me what you've done."

She giggled and took her clothes into the restroom. "That muffin better be gone by the time I'm done." He looked around for the nearest trashcan, but before he could get up she stuck her head out of the door. "And I will check the trash." He looked like a deer in headlights and she laughed. He sighed heavily and took another bite. She laughed and shut the bathroom door.

_I hate it when she can tell what I'm thinking._

By the time she was done, they had the information from Emily, but they didn't have anything on the three new men, so Hotch called Garcia and Cam. They were in a hotel in Tennessee. "I'm really sorry for disturbing your vacation. . ." Hotch started.

"Nonsense," Garcia told him. "Whatever my liege needs we can give him."

Kahlan laughed. "You have your computers, right?"

"Of course," Cam told them.

"I'm going to send you some stuff and we need to know if you all can find out anything," Kahlan told them as she readied an email.

"I thought you were supposed to be on vacation, too?" Garcia asked. "What has Double-O gotten herself into?"

Hotch chuckled. "She can't go anywhere without getting into trouble," Hotch joked and Kahlan hit him on the arm. "Ow!"

Cam and Garcia laughed. Cam opened the file and shot a worried look to his wife. "What the hell?"

"Ohhh, he's scary," Garcia told them as she looked at one of the photos.

"Yeah," is all Hotch offered.

"Interpol can't find anything, but I know they are not you two," Kahlan told them.

"When is this going down?" Cam asked and they could hear computer keys being punished on the techs' end.

"This afternoon," Hotch told him and they heard Garcia suck in her breath.

"And why have you waited until now for this info?" Cam asked in a tone that told him he didn't like it.

"We just now found out," Kahlan lied.

"So you are working with my raven haired beauty?" Garcia asked.

"Yes, Pen. We're not doing this alone," Kahlan tried to allay her fears.

"You still need back-up you can trust," Cam injected.

"Yeah, but it would take too long to get the team here even if they were all available," Hotch told him. _I really wish the team was here._

"And let me guess, Rossi is with the kids?" Cam asked.

"Yep," Kahlan told him. "Call if you get anything."

"Of course," Garcia told her. "And please be careful. I do not need to hear any bad news while on this vacation!"

Kahlan laughed. "Of course," she told her and then ended the call.

She looked at her husband and he sighed heavily. She patted his hand. "I know. I wish they were here, too."

XXX

Within an hour there was a knock on the door. Hotch grabbed his pistol as Kahlan approached the door. "I was expecting someone," she told him, but he didn't put his pistol down.

She opened the door and took a set of car keys with a smile and the man left without a word.

Hotch eyed her carefully as she sat the keys down on the table. "Where'd the car come from?"

She smiled. "Mickey let me borrow it."

Hotch picked up the keys. "Really? He has a Ferrari?"

"I said he let me borrow it; I didn't say it was his."

He eyed her warily. "Then whose is it?"

She just smiled and went to her bag.

"Kahlan?"

She giggled. "It's best you don't know," she told him with a grin. "Do you think they think we're criminals of sorts?"

"Of sorts, why?"

"Think they'll expect us to be armed?"

He considered it a moment. "Possibly. Why?"

She took out her shoulder holster and put it on.

"They'll probably search us," he told her as he sat down.

"Yep," she agreed and slid a pistol under her left arm. She smiled. "Do you think they'll take them from us?"

"I would if I was them."

"That's what I thought, too," she told him as she put a light jacket on.

His brows furrowed. "Then why are you putting it on?"

She smiled deviously and walked up to him. He eyed her suspiciously. "Because they will concentrate on taking the pistol," she started as she held her jacket open and motioned for him to take it.

He stood up and reached in and took the pistol half expecting her to do something to him. "And?"

"And then they'll search the rest of me," she told him and motioned for him to do it, so he did.

Once he was done, he stood up and looked at her questioningly. "So what did that get you?"

An evil smile spread across her face. "This," she said as she held the jacket open.

He took a step back. "What the hell, Babe?"

In the place where the pistol had been sat a leather holder with the throwing knives Mickey had given her. She giggled.

He looked at her and she could tell he was trying to figure out how she had done it.

She laughed. "It's just like a magic show," she told him as she put her hand on his chest. He looked down at her hand, and she smiled. "If you give them something to focus on, then you can do whatever you want wherever their focus isn't," she told him as she showed him his wallet in her other hand.

His hand went his pocket to find it truly empty. He snatched his wallet out of her hand. "How the hell?"

She giggled. "A magician never reveals her secrets."

He shook his head. "You're a damn pick pocket! That's how you get bugs on people so easily!"

She shrugged. "I could've been a great thief."

He shook his head again. "Great. My wife, the cat burglar."

"Works, though, doesn't it?"

He chuckled. "You never cease to amaze me."

XXX

As 1:30 approached, Hotch was starting to get nervous. He paced as he waited for the call from their unsubs. The burn phone from Emily sat on the table beside Kahlan. When he heard a vibration, his head snapped to the phone. Kahlan giggled. "I think that one was yours, Hun."

Hotch shook his head and pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Go ahead, Garcia, you're on speaker."

"I really, really, don't like what we found out," she told him seriously.

"Exactly what have you gotten yourselves into?" Cam asked.

"No time to explain. Just tell us what you found," Kahlan told them as Hotch sat the phone on the table and sat down beside Kahlan.

"Creepy guy's name is Sebastian Walker. . ." Garcia started.

"Walker?" Hotch quickly asked.

"Yep, he's a brother to Ethan, and he's wanted in several countries for various violent crimes including several murders," Garcia explained.

"He's an assassin," Cam clarified.

"Son of bitch!" Kahlan exclaimed as she stood up and turned away from the table. "I knew it!"

Hotch looked at her and took a deep breath as his stomach flipped. "The others?"

"The blond is an American by the name of Brody Timmons. He's also wanted for several crimes here in the US, but disappeared about three years ago. Of course we now know he has left the country," Garcia told them.

"He was a Ranger in the army," Cam pointed out.

Hotch's stomach got even tighter and he swallowed hard.

"And last, but not least, we have Stephan Christoph from right there in England. He is suspected of several lesser crimes, but they have never been able to pin anything on him," Garcia told them. "Are you two sure you have to do whatever it is that you are doing?" They could tell how scared she was.

"Yeah, Pen, but don't worry; we'll be fine," Kahlan tried to assure her.

"Are you equipped for this?" Cam asked.

Kahlan laughed. "Yeah. Mickey gave us some stuff."

"Mickey? Really? I thought he was out." Cam said excitedly.

"Nope. . ." Kahlan started when the burn phone vibrated. "Shit. Gotta go guys," Kahlan told them as Hotch reached for the phone.

"Call us! Call us as soon as this is over or I will never sleep again!" Garcia yelled.

"Yep," Hotch told her and then ended that call and picked the other phone. "Talk," he said haughtily.

Kahlan had to chock back a laugh at his greeting.

"Yeah," Hotch told the caller. He looked at his watch. "Yeah, I know the place," he lied as he quickly wrote something down. Kahlan looked at it and nodded. "You sure this will be worth it?" he paused as he listened. "She has her hopes up, and I will be very pissed if she is disappointed," Hotch told him with an edge in his voice. "Alright. . . We'll see you there," he finally finished and ended the call.

He took a deep breath. "They want us to meet them there and then follow them to the kids. They're about fifteen minutes outside the city."

Kahlan nodded. "Well, at least they're letting us keep our own car. That's a plus," she told him.

"You get all that, Emily?" Hotch asked. Kahlan had called her as soon the burn phone went off.

"Yeah, Hotch. We'll get to the rendezvous before you and then follow once we figure out where their headed."

"No," Kahlan said seriously.

Hotch looked at her. "Kahlan, we need back up."

"Hotch is right. . ." Emily tried.

"And we can signal for them to come when we need them. They have killed every agent Interpol has sent. They can stay back," Kahlan said forcibly.

Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought about it.

"Hotch?" Emily tried.

"Aaron!"

He bit his lip as he looked at his wife and then looked at the phone.

"Aaron, I have a little more experience with this, please trust me," she pleaded quietly.

"How will we find you when you signal us?" Emily asked Kahlan.

"Through the use of a 7CT."

They heard her suck in her breath. "How the hell did you get your hands. . . never mind. I don't want to know," Emily told her.

"I believe you can trace the signal?"

"Yes," Emily told them and Hotch could hear the defeat in her tone.

"So you can bring the cavalry when it's needed?" Hotch asked to clarify.

"Yes," Emily told him honestly. "Pen sent me the info on those guys. Hotch you two do not need to go through with this! We can. . ."

"We'll signal you when we want you, and you better come," Hotch told her using his Unit Chief tone.

Emily sighed. "Alright, Hotch. Please be careful and watch each other's backs!"

"We got this," Kahlan told her.

"We better get going," Hotch told them.

"See ya, Em," Kahlan told her and ended the call.

She stood up and faced her husband. "You ready?"

He took a deep breath and let it out through his nose. "As ready as I'll ever be," he told her, and she could hear the worry in his voice.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

When Kahlan pulled up to their rendezvous, Hotch got out and walked up to an SUV being driven by Felix, and Felix laughed. "Really, Jackson, you let your wife drive you around?"

Hotch smiled. "That's her baby. I wouldn't drive it if I had to. She's pretty possessive of her stuff."

Cody, in the passenger seat, laughed. "What the lady wants?"

Hotch laughed. "Yep."

"So you'll follow us," Felix told him. "I would say 'make sure you can keep up', but with a car like that I don't see it being a problem."

Hotch shook his head. "Nah. I don't think it'll be a problem," he told them and headed back to Kahlan.

Kahlan waited for them to pull out and started to follow them. "Thank God Emily wasn't here," Kahlan told him as she drove down the road.

"Why is that?" Hotch asked.

"Brody was on the roof. He's keeping watch to make sure no one is following us," she told him as she glanced at him.

Hotch wanted to turn around and look, but he thought better of it. "Damn. I didn't even see him."

She reached over and patted him on the leg. "Don't worry about it. I almost didn't see him."

"Cody and Felix were the only two in the SUV."

"Yeah. I guess the others are already there."

"Yeah," Hotch said and tried to relax himself.

"Put your phone in the glove box now, Hun, so they don't see you put it in there."

Hotch opened it and saw that hers was already in it. "So Emily can trace this car?"

She smiled. "When I let her."

Hotch looked at her questioningly. "When you let her?"

"I have to turn the signal on," she told him as she looked at him. "Don't give me that look. I don't want them thinking they can get close or anything." He shook his head. "They were already positioned along the route to the rendezvous," she told him and he could hear the anger in her voice.

"What?" he asked in shock. "We told her to stay away until we called them in."

"I'm sure it was Clyde's doing. There were a few cars, and they will only be able to tell them the direction we took, and with all these turns, they won't be able to find us without the signal."

Hotch shook his head. "How did you do it?"

She looked at him. "What?"

"Work like this? I've only done it for a little over a day and I hate it already."

She laughed. "Very rarely did I ever work with another group."

"I can see why."

"I don't think Clyde really means anything by it. He just wants this to go down the right way and he hates that he's not the one calling the shots."

Hotch huffed and reached over and took her hand off the gearshift and held it. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being you. If you weren't here, and they had talked me into doing that, I'd probably be dead right now."

She winced.

"What?"

"Don't talk like that."

He chuckled. "Oh, another one of those jinxes?"

Her shoulders dropped. "Well, now it is."

He laughed as he shook his head.

After twenty minutes, Kahlan looked at him. "I think they lied about how far out this is."

"They probably did that on purpose to throw off anyone who might be following us. Should I let Emily know?"

Kahlan bit her lip as she considered it. "I wouldn't."

He nodded and got a little more worried. "What do we do if we get out there and there are no kids, and this is just a set up?"

She shot him a dirty look. "Would you stop!"

"I'm serious, Babe," he told her and she could hear fear in his voice.

She knew his fear was for her because he would never fear for himself. She took a deep breath. "Then we fight to get back in the car and get the hell away."

He studied her. "This isn't a normal car, is it?"

She smiled. "Back up can come in many different forms," is all she offered.

He started to study the car and reached up to the instrument panel.

She grabbed his hand to stop him. "Careful, you might hit the ejector button."

His head snapped to her and he couldn't tell if she was joking or not. She focused on the road.

XXX

They pulled onto a dirt road. "Here we go," Kahlan told him and took a deep breath.

Hotch studied her and he couldn't tell if she was nervous or not.

"Shit!" she exclaimed. He looked at her, and she shook her head. "We didn't think about it, but if the children are here, there are bound to be other men, right?"

He rubbed his forehead. "Probably, they would have to have a guard or something on them."

"And enter another vehicle," she said as she saw a car approaching from behind in the rear view.

Hotch glanced behind them. "Shit!"

"If they try to box us in, do not get out of the car," she told him seriously.

"Right," he nodded as the acid in his stomach churned.

They finally pulled up in front of a couple houses and a couple of outbuildings. Kahlan surveyed the scene quickly as she pulled up beside Felix's SUV. She held her breath as the SUV coming up behind them pulled over to the other side of the house. She let it out with a smile. "Maybe they don't suspect anything," she offered quietly.

Hotch nodded. "We're good?" he asked as his hand went toward the handle.

"Yep," she told him and he got out.

He went around to her side, opened her door for her, and extended his hand to help her out. "M'Lady," he offered with a grin.

She giggled and got out. "Thank you, M'Lord."

Cody, who had approached them, laughed. "You two are sweeter than fresh honey. You make me sick," he joked.

"You just wish you had a beautiful woman like I do," Hotch told him as they followed him to the closest house.

"Maybe one day," Cody mused and then stopped in front of the door as Vicktor, Adrian, and Ethan came out of the house.

Kahlan turned a little as Felix, Brody, and Stephan walked up behind them. _Where and the hell are you Sebastian?_ She quickly surveyed the men and realized that several of them were armed. "So, where are the children?" she asked with a nice smile.

"Inside," Vicktor told her. "But you'll have to excuse us for wanting to search you."

"Do we get to search you?" Hotch asked as he fixed the man with his stare.

Vicktor appraised him. "This is our place. Visitors do not have the luxury of having a weapon inside."

Hotch didn't move as he appraised him. "You expect us to trust you? I haven't known you long enough to even consider that."

"You can have them back as soon as you leave," Adrian told him.

Hotch looked at Kahlan. She shrugged and looked at Cody. "You better keep your hands professional."

Most of them laughed as Cody made his way to her and Adrian searched Hotch. Hotch tried to keep his eyes off Kahlan. He didn't want to put too much attention on her, but he was worried that with so many people watching that she would get caught trying to hide the other weapons she had. Adrian reached in and took Hotch's pistol out of his holster on his hip. Adrian appraised the gun with a grin. "Nice." Hotch shrugged.

Cody whistled as he pulled the pistol out of Kahlan's shoulder holster. "Pretty and can shoot, too. That's my kind of woman," he told his friends and they all laughed as he handed Felix the gun and searched the rest of her.

Adrian was done by the time Cody was and Hotch looked at the men. "Satisfied?"

"Of course," Vicktor told him and then motioned to the door.

Kahlan went to her husband's side and smiled. "Let's go see them," she told him and basically pulled him into the house.

The men laughed again and followed them in.

Hotch had steeled himself to what he thought he would find. He was expecting all kinds of horrors, as every case involving kids had come to his mind, but he was shocked by what he saw. They entered a room with a wall made out of what he knew was a two-way mirror. On the other side of the mirror, he quickly counted ten kids of various ages. They all looked healthy and even if they weren't all exactly happy, none of them looked scared or hurt. There were also two older women in with the kids. He didn't hide his shock as he looked back at the men.

"I told you they were good kids," Cody told him as he came up beside Kahlan. "See one you like?"

Kahlan shot him a look and then looked back at the kids. "Can I go in there?"

Cody looked behind him, and Hotch saw who gave him the approval, and he smiled mentally. _I knew it!_ "The women take care of them?" Hotch asked them.

"Yes, but they only speak Spanish," Felix started and Hotch looked at him questioningly. "We wouldn't want them to discuss things with the children, would we?"

Hotch chuckled. "I guess not." He squeezed Kahlan's hand. "Can she go in?" he asked Cody.

"Sure," Cody said and opened the door for her. Kahlan gave Hotch a smile and then went in. The children and the women quickly looked to see who was coming in the door, and Hotch noticed several of the younger kids smiled brightly at her.

Hotch turned to the men. "Quite the set up you have here. I must confess I am impressed."

"All of our ventures are equally impressive I assure you, Mr. Jackson," Adrian told him.

Hotch heard a high pitched giggled and turned to see Kahlan tickling a little boy. Hotch couldn't help it, he smiled.

"Seems like she's drawn to the lad," Ethan told him.

Hotch studied his wife as she turned to grab a young girl. "Maybe not," he offered as he turned back to them.

"Still set on one, or are you going to wait until she comes out of there?" Cody asked him.

"It'll be up to her. So how does this work?" Hotch asked as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Half now and then half tomorrow when you come back to pick it up," Vicktor told him.

Hotch mentally cringed again at a child being referred to as an 'it'. "You can get the paperwork done that quickly?" he asked and let them think that he was impressed.

"You want it to actually be yours or adopted?" Felix asked.

"Depends on which one she wants," Hotch told them as he looked at his wife again. The little boy had climbed into her lap. He chuckled and then turned back to the men. "So what else can you all offer me?"

"That depends on what you are asking about," Adrian told him.

Hotch smiled. "I might be in the market for some other things that can't be acquired in the traditional sense."

Adrian looked at his brother and then looked back at Hotch. "Weapons?"

"Possibly," Hotch told them cryptically. "Depends on what you have to offer." _I hate this round about, never say what you mean shit! Why can't I be the one in with the kids? Kahlan would have these guys eating out of the palm of her hand! _

Cody put his hand on Hotch's shoulder. "Come on out to the barn and we'll show you," he told him with a smile.

_Shit!_ He looked back toward Kahlan and she was making her way back to the door. _Thank God! _ He opened the door for her with a smile. "So?"

She smiled as she appraised him and knew he had done something they hadn't discussed. _Damn it, Aaron! Stop trying to be super spy! You aren't trained for this shit!_ She took a deep breath and looked back through the mirror. "I like Liam," she told him and pointed to the little boy.

"Knew it," Ethan injected.

Felix nodded and grabbed a laptop off a side table and opened it up. After several moments he handed it towards Hotch, but Kahlan took it first. She looked at the screen and realized it was a wire transfer site. "Oh, you can use your account, Dear," she told Hotch as she handed it to him.

Hotch's heart skipped a beat as she saw her insert something into one of the USB drives as he reached for it. _Jesus, Babe, are you trying to get us killed?_ He took it and typed in some account numbers and then looked at the men. "How much?"

Kahlan held her breath as she studied the men and kept her husband in her peripheral view.

"Two hundred-fifty," Vicktor told him. "Today," he quickly added.

Hotch looked at him as he quirked his mouth and then looked at Kahlan. Her eyes were pleading him to behave, but he looked back to Vicktor. "Seems a little high," Hotch told him as he eyed him.

Vicktor's eyes shifted from Hotch for just a second. "The quality calls for a higher price."

"True, but some of your competition offers relatively the same quality for a lot less," Hotch told him as he lifted his chin.

_What the hell are you doing, Hun?_ Kahlan wanted to scream. She studied him as she tensed in case things got out of hand. A devilish smile played at the corners of his mouth. _You may not like the spy game as a whole, but you sure do like playing it, don't you, Hun?_

"Let me guess? You did a little research?" Felix asked him.

Hotch shrugged. "Have to know the going price to see whether or not I'm being swindled."

Kahlan studied the men and realized they were uneasy. She could tell by their looks and their body language that they were indeed trying to charge way too much. _How the hell did you figure that out, Aaron?_ _You didn't do any research._ She noticed that Brody's hand moved toward the inside of his jacket as he focused on Hotch. _Not today, asshole._ Her hand slowly made its way into her jacket as well.

Finally Vicktor laughed. "We had to see if you were gullible," he confessed.

Hotch raised his brows as he waited for the next price.

"It's two-fifty total."

"So half now?" Hotch asked as he started putting in numbers.

"Yes," Felix told him.

Hotch finished on the computer and then closed out the internet and handed it back to Felix.

"What did you do?" Felix asked as he looked at the screen.

Kahlan tensed again. Hotch looked at him. "I'm not leaving my info on the screen for you to see. Go back in. You'll find the money already there."

Vicktor and Adrian looked at each other and then looked at Felix. He was nervous as he started to type. Vicktor looked at Adrian and then they started talking in Russian.

Hotch couldn't understand what they were saying, but he could tell the conversation wasn't a good one. _Oh shit!_ All of the men drew close together and started talking in hushed tones.

Kahlan moved closer to Hotch. "Start an argument with them," Kahlan told him quietly.

He shot her a look. "What?"

"Start on argument and then take it outside!" she said a little more forcibly but still quietly enough that they didn't hear her.

"You can understand them?" he asked but then shook his head. _Of course you can._

"The shit is about to hit the fan. Get them outside!" she told as she glanced at the mirror.

He nodded. "Is there a problem gentleman?" Hotch asked them as he got closer to them. He noticed the women taking the children out of the room.

"You've done something to the computer!" Felix demanded as Brody pulled a pistol.

"Whoa!" Hotch yelled as he held his hands out to the side.

Kahlan's heart skipped a beat at seeing the pistol pointed at Hotch. She bit her lip and decided she had to do something. "Just forget it, Dear," she told him and grabbed his arm as she started for the door keeping herself in between him and the gun.

Before Hotch realized it, she had him out the door and the most of the men quickly followed. "Just hold it a second!" Cody yelled as he pulled a pistol. They all flinched when a shot ran out in the house.

Kahlan and Hotch both lunged for their guns still sitting on a barrel along the walk.

Cody and Brody both fired as the other men scattered.

Hotch pushed Kahlan down as he ducked and another couple shots rang out as he reached the guns. He threw hers to her, and she caught it and turned. Cody and Brody lined up for another shot as Hotch and Kahlan both fired.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Cody and Brody both dropped and Hotch's head snapped to Kahlan. A shot had hit right next to her shoulder. _Jesus Christ!_

Felix turned towards the barn and he ran into the barrels along the walkway. "Barrels!" he yelled and stumbled his way through them as Hotch took a shot at him, but he made it around the corner.

Kahlan saw the door to the house slam shut. "The children!" she yelled and started back toward the house as she fingered her watch.

"Kahlan!" Hotch yelled as he tried to catch up with her.

Gunfire erupted from the side of the house and Kahlan skidded to a halt as she realized the shots were tracing her husband. _No!_ She turned and fired. All she could see from her vantage point was the end of an assault rifle, but she fired, several times. The stock of the rifle exploded as the slide of her pistol stayed back in the lock position letting her know her clip was empty. _Damn it!_ The shooting had stopped, though, as Hotch reached her, and she threw the pistol down.

He put his hand on her shoulder and she nodded. "We need to signal Emily."

"Already done," she told him with a quick smile. He nodded and they headed back into the house, but Hotch forced his way in front of her before she got to the door.

He opened the door slowly and looked around. Seeing no one, he entered with his pistol at the ready. Kahlan kept on eye on the outside for a couple heart beats and then followed Hotch inside.

A strangled scream type grunt escaped Kahlan as Vicktor aggressively grabbed her by the hair as he came out from behind the door.

Hotch turned, saw what was happening, and cringed. He'd never try to shoot Vicktor with the way he was shielding himself with his wife, so he stood still.

"What? Don't like the way I'm treating your woman?" Vicktor asked him sarcastically as he moved Kahlan so that she was closer to his chest.

Hotch's face scrunched up as he watched Vicktor manhandle his wife. "No. I'm just starting to imagine what she's going to do to you."

"What?" Vicktor asked as he yanked up on her hair and whimper escaped her. "You think this little thing can do anything to a big guy like me?"

Hotch locked eyes with his wife and he could see the blue of her eyes darken as anger seethed from them. "You do what you have to do," he started and Kahlan knew he was talking to her. "But, I can't watch," he finished and turned around.

"Huh?" Vicktor asked in disbelief. He had a split second to wonder what Hotch was talking about before Kahlan reached up, grabbed the wrist of the hand holding her hair, and swung herself up and around him. Before his brain could register the threat and fight back, her legs wrapped around his neck. She squeezed, and one disgusting snap later, he dropped to the floor. She landed on her feet beside him.

Hearing Vicktor hit the floor let Hotch know it was safe to turn around. "That was fast," he told her and went to her.

She rubbed her head and kicked Vicktor in the side. "I can't believe that asshole pulled my hair!"

Hotch studied the man on the floor. "Is he dead?"

"Yes!" she told him and kicked him again. "What is he, ten?"

Hotch fought hard to keep a chuckle down, but he lost the battle when he looked at her. "You ok, Babe?"

"It's not funny! That hurt!"

He pulled her into hug. "Sorry, but we still have five more."

She pushed herself away from him. "I know. We. . ." she started but they both turned to a sound at the door.

"Vicktor!" Adrian yelled as he brought a pistol up and leveled it at the couple.

Hotch pushed Kahlan away from him, aimed, and fired all in one swift movement.

Adrian's face showed the shock he felt as he fell to his knees, blood staining the front of his shirt.

"Nice shot, Hun," Kahlan exclaimed as she picked herself up off the floor where Hotch had shoved her. Before she could get back to her husband, a sound made her spin around.

Hotch watched in horror as Stephan threw a knife at her. "Kahlan!" he yelled as he dove for her, knowing he would never reach her in time.

Kahlan's hand moved with lightning speed as she caught the knife and threw it back at the man in less than a split second.

Stephan clutched his throat and made a few gurgling noises as he fell onto his ass and then to the floor.

"Jesus Christ, Babe!" Hotch yelled as he stood frozen in his spot.

Kahlan looked at Stephan and winced. "Sorry. I guess I shouldn't have killed another one, huh?"

"What?" Hotch asked as he looked back and forth between Kahlan and Stephan, now lying face down on the floor. "No, I don't care about that!"

"Then what?" she asked dumbfounded.

He opened his mouth to say something and then swallowed hard. "You caught that?!" he exclaimed still not believing what he actually saw. "And threw it back!"

"Sorry?" she said sheepishly as she ducked her head some.

"How?" he asked as he finally stepped to her.

"Reflex?"

He shook his head, still in disbelief. "Damn, Babe."

She smiled at him. "At least the main guy is dead."

Hotch gave her a look. "No he isn't."

She was shocked and looked to Vicktor's body. "It isn't Vicktor?"

He chuckled. "Nope."

She wilted. "Damn. I would have put money on him."

He shrugged. "It's Ethan."

"What?! I thought you said he was at the bottom of the totem pole."

"That's what they wanted us to think, but as a watched and studied them, it was obvious he was the man in charge."

She shook her head. "Then he's still out there."

He nodded. "And he's not the only one."

She shrugged. "Three more."

He nodded. "Yeah," he looked toward the room where the children were. "Where do you think they are?"

She smiled. "I told the women to get them some place safe."

He looked at her in disbelief. "You can speak Spanish, too?"

She laughed. "And a few others."

His mouth hung open.

"What? You've never asked if I could speak a foreign language."

He shook his head and went toward the door leading into the house slowly with his pistol at the ready. He glanced one more time at Sebastian. _How the hell does she do that shit?_

Kahlan got behind him and kept an eye on the doors behind them. She glanced one more time at Vicktor. _How the hell does he figure that shit out?_

Before Hotch got to the door, the end of an assault rifle came through it. Hotch grabbed the end of the rifle and pulled its owner into the room. One powerful punch and Felix was down on the floor without the rifle.

He scrambled and grabbed Hotch's leg. Hotch tried to kick him off, but went down with him. They wrestled and fought, but Hotch finally stood up and straightened his shirt to find Kahlan standing with her arms folded across her chest.

"If you boys are done playing now, we still have two more."

Hotch huffed as he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth where Felix had landed one of his punches. "You could have helped."

She smiled. "I didn't think you'd want me to step in on your fun."

He ran a hand through his messed up hair. "Fun?" he huffed. "Yeah, that's what I'd call it, fun."

She giggled. "Ethan and Sebastian."

He nodded. "Ethan and Sebastian." He took her hand and went through the door. After looking both ways, they went through a long room and then came to a central room at the back of the house.

"We should split up," Kahlan suggested as she eyed the stairs leading up to the next floor.

"You find Ethan, and I'll. . ." Hotch started.

"I don't think so!" Kahlan interrupted. When Hotch was about to argue she held up her hand. "Sebastian is my kind of bad guy. Ethan is yours."

He fixed her with his stare. "Kahlan!"

"Don't try that Unit Chief shit on me, Aaron! You know I'm right!"

His face softened. "Kahlan, please."

"Aaron, I can do this," she told him seriously.

He took a deep breath. "Then take this," he told her as he held out his pistol to her.

She pushed it back to him. "You need that. I'll be fine." They both turned toward the door leading outside as they heard something. "Go," she told him and pushed him toward the door as she heard the floorboards upstairs creak. Something in her told her Sebastian was upstairs.

"Be careful," he told her seriously and started for the door as she started for the stairs.

Before he went out the door, he turned to her one more time and she looked back over her shoulder at him. 'Be safe!' she demanded without words. He nodded and was gone.

XXXXX

She went up the stairs quietly keeping an eye the hallway above her as she took out the knife at her waist. She made it to the top of the stairs and stood still as she listened for any movement. She smiled when she heard a slight sound in the room at the far end of the hall.

She approached the door to the room as quietly as she could. She tried to see into the room, but it turned right past the doorway. She inched along and advanced in the room. As soon as she was into the main part of the room, a two-by-four hit her in the side.

A grunt of pain escaped her as she fell to the ground and her knife slid across the floor too far out of reach to be helpful.

Sebastian laughed a throaty laugh as he grabbed her by the hair and picked her up roughly.

_Really, you're going to pull my hair, too? What's with you guys?_ She tried to kick him as he was pulling her up, but he blocked it.

"I knew you were more than a wife when I saw you at the gala. I could see it in your eyes," he told her as he wrenched her around and put a powerful arm around her holding her to his chest tightly.

"So you're not as dumb as your brother, huh?" she asked sarcastically as she tried to slam a heel onto his toes, but he moved his foot in time.

"My brother is not as dumb as you think. He is. . ."

"Yeah, I know. He's the leader. My husband figured that out easily enough, so your brother is not as smart as you think he is," she told him as she struggled to get out of his grasp.

"He's smarter than you. We will still be alive at the end of the day, and you and your husband won't be," he told her as he shifted his arm to hold her more tightly.

"He's the brains? Then, I guess, that makes you the muscle."

He laughed as he wrenched her arm behind her and yanked up on it. A whimper escaped her as she tried to stand on her toes to keep the pressure off her shoulder. He leaned down and nuzzled her hair away from her neck and breathed in her sent with a smile. "I protect him so he can get the work done."

"Yeah?" she asked as bile rose up her throat at the man being way too close. "You're the one who killed those Interpol agents?"

"Yep," he told her as she let go of her arm and turned her around to face him as his grip on both of her arms dug into her. "It was so easy; a child could have done it," he told her and she could see the lust in his eyes as he looked her up and down.

"Oh, like one of those kids down stairs? I guess you're responsible for stealing them away from their families, too?"

"I killed most of their families so no one would miss them," he told her with a smile and then started to untuck her shirt with one hand as he held onto her with the other.

She smiled. "That's all I needed to know," she told him and then brought up a knee to nail his family jewels.

He groaned as he doubled over and she slipped from his grasp, but he backhanded her across the face before she get far enough away from him.

The force of the blow sent her flying to the side a few feet. As soon as she stopped, she got into a crouch and threw a knife.

He smiled as he looked down at the knife sticking out of his gut. "Your aim sucks."

She went to the floor and covered her head just in time as he exploded. The sickening sounds of pieces of Sebastian falling off the ceiling made her almost want to throw up as she made her way to her feet. She took one more look at what was left of the man, shook her head, and went in search of her husband.

XXXXX

As soon as Hotch was outside, he saw Ethan run into another building, so he followed him with his pistol at the ready. He approached the door with caution and checked inside with a quick look. Not seeing Ethan, he took a tentative step in and walked down the long hall. As soon as he was at the end, a board swung at his head made him duck. He rolled forward and turned as Ethan aimed the board at him again.

The board connected with Hotch's right arm and Hotch's pistol went sliding across the floor.

Hotch swept a leg out and took the man to the ground and jumped on him before Ethan could get up, but Ethan fought him off and punched Hotch in the stomach.

The air gushed out of Hotch's lungs as he struggled to get into a standing position.

"You'll pay for killing my friends!" Ethan yelled and swung a fist at Hotch.

Hotch dodged the blow by sweeping Ethan's arm past him and he landed a punch to Ethan's right kidney.

Ethan elbowed Hotch in the face, but Hotch kicked him in the back of the knee. As Ethan went down, he turned and took Hotch down with him, and he was on Hotch's chest within seconds.

Hotch struggled to get the man off of him, but Ethan grabbed him by the throat. Hotch's hands tried to pry the big man's hands away, but he couldn't break his grasp. Ethan smiled. "I bet Sebastian is already having fun with your wife."

Sparks started flashing in his vision as his brain screamed for oxygen as Hotch tried to force the man away. That didn't work either and tunnel vision was closing in on, but visions of his wife came to mind. _No! I'll kill him if he hurts her!_ He fought to stay conscious as he felt around on the ground around him. His hand wrapped around something metal, and he swung with all his might and caught Ethan in the side of the head. Hotch's lungs sucked in air greedily as Ethan's grip relaxed and he slumped to the ground.

Once Hotch was out from under the rest of Ethan's body, he unconsciously reached to the small of his back for his cuffs. "Shit!" he exclaimed and looked around for something to tie up the man. Finding nothing useful, he cussed again.

Once Hotch was done with Ethan and had retrieved his pistol, he headed out of the building back towards the house. His head snapped up when he heard a small explosion._ No!_ He tore into a run.

His heart almost stopped when Kahlan ran out the door and right into him. "Kahlan!" he exclaimed in relief.

"Aaron!" Kahlan exclaimed at the same time.

They both laughed and then appraised one another. "Oh my God, Babe!" Hotch yelled as he realized she had blood all over her.

"It's not mine," she told him quickly and put her hands on the side of his face to examine him. Blood was still coming out of his nose. "Are you ok?" she asked as she winced when she saw his neck and knew that Ethan had tried to strangle him.

He pushed her hands away. "Yes. Are you?"

She took a deep breath. "Yeah," then she rubbed her head. "Well, except my head. That asshole pulled my hair, too!"

He bit his lip to hold back a chuckle and grabbed her shoulders to examine her a little more closely. "That explosion? That was him?"

She winced. "Yeah."

He shook his head.

"I threw the wrong one?" she offered with a little look that reminded him of Joey when she was trying to get out of trouble.

"Sure you did."

"He said he killed some of those kids' families so he could steal them!"

"I don't doubt he deserved it," he told her as he wiped off part of her face to reveal a bruise. "Are you sure you're ok?"

She rubbed her head again. "Yes."

He finally couldn't hold the chuckle back. "I'd tell you I'd kiss it to make it feel better, but I think you have some intestine in there."

She made like she was going to get sick. "Shut up, Aaron."

He laughed some more. "You might want to go wash yourself off," he told her as he steered her back toward the house.

She looked at her hands; they were covered in blood and dirt. "Yeah. I need a sink, a big sink," she told him and then went in the door.

He shook his head and then used the bottom of his shirt to wipe his face off. His head snapped to the road as several vehicles made their way toward the house at breakneck speed. He huffed and sat down on the bumper of the Ferrari.

Emily was out of the first SUV before it was even stopped. "Are you alright, Hotch?" she asked as she ran up to him.

"Bout time you all get here," he told her dryly. Her desperate look made him chuckle. "I'm fine."

She looked around quickly. "Where's Kahlan?"

"Inside getting cleaned up," he told her and then pushed himself off the bumper as Clyde approached them with a big grin. As soon as he was within reach, Hotch dropped him to the ground with a powerful punch to the jaw.

Clyde's hand went to his jaw as he looked up at Hotch with shock.

"That's for not telling us everything!" Hotch yelled.

Clyde got to his feet slowly. "Alright, I deserved that." Emily gave him an 'I told you so' look. "Where are they?"

"There's one in the second room in there," Hotch told him as he hooked a thumb toward the house. "And your main guy is that building," he finished with a point to where Ethan was.

"Only two?" Clyde asked disbelievingly wondering if the others were even there.

"Only two left alive," Hotch told him dryly.

Clyde smiled and turned to his people and directed them to collect the prisoners and such.

"When you get upstairs, that mess is, or was, Sebastian."

Emily shot him a look and then looked down at his feet. "Where are your shoelaces?"

He shrugged. "I didn't have my cuffs." She laughed and started to go into the house.

Hotch put a hand on her arm. "Your bag in there?" he asked as he gestured to the SUV.

"Of course."

"I think Kahlan would appreciate a shirt. She was a little close to Sebastian if you know what I mean."

Emily cringed as she imagined it. "Sure," she told him and went and got her bag and went in search of Kahlan.

Kahlan finally emerged as agents started escorting the children out of the house. She smiled at them and then smiled at her husband. He held his arm out and she went to his side and he put his arm around her shoulders. Her hair was wet from her rinsing it out.

He leaned down and kissed her on the head. "Better?"

She giggled. "Yep." Her head snapped toward the other building as agents pulled a yelling Ethan toward one of the awaiting vehicles. She looked at Hotch and smiled.

"What? At least I left two of them alive."

She winced. "I guess I do need to get better at that, huh?"

He laughed.

"I wish this thing was still good," Emily told them as she walked up carrying the laptop. There was a bullet hole shot through it and the couple realized that was the shot they heard in the beginning.

Hotch grinned and reached over and took a tiny flashdrive out of the back of it. "I think this probably has everything you need," he told her as he handed it to her.

Emily looked at it questioningly and then at Hotch. "What's this?"

He shrugged. "I don't know," he confessed and then looked at Kahlan. "She put it in there."

She smiled. "It copied of everything on the computer. All you need to do is put it in another and you'll have everything."

"Nice!" Emily told them and then put the flashdrive in her pocket.

"Well, I'd say you two did even better than everyone thought," Clyde told them as he walked up to them.

Kahlan slipped out of Hotch's arm and struck Clyde with one swift hit at the base of his throat. "That's for bugging the hotel!"

Clyde dropped to his knees as a whine escaped him. Once he could breathe again, he got back to his feet rubbing the spot. "Ok, I deserved that, too."

Kahlan then noticed the bruise starting to form on the side of Clyde's jaw and shot her husband a smile.

"If you two are done attacking me, I would like to get you debriefed."

"What's there to debrief? Six are dead, two are alive, the children are safe, and Emily has all the proof you need. I would even think all of their contacts are on there, too," Kahlan told him and then looked at Emily. "What's going to happen to the children?"

"We're already searching for their families," Emily assured her.

"Sebastian said he killed some of them."

"We'll look for extended family if needed."

"Where will they stay until then?"

"We'll put them in a facility in London."

Kahlan sighed, and Hotch took her hand. "Don't worry, Babe. They'll be fine."

She huffed. "Have you read 'Oliver Twist'?"

"Jesus, Kay! I think our facilities have improved in the last few centuries!" Clyde told her.

She shot him a look that told him she wasn't so sure.

"I think we're done," Hotch said as he stood up. "Let's get out of here."

"Excellent idea," she told him and he walked her to the side of the car and opened the door for her. She got in, then he got in, and they left.

Clyde shook his head as he watched them drive away.

Emily looked at her phone as it vibrated. 'Call if you need anything,' came Hotch's text. She laughed and then went back in the house to make sure everything was taken care of.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Hotch and Kahlan went back to the Landmark Hotel with plans of showering, changing, and then getting back to their family. On the way back, Hotch called Garcia and Cameron to let them know that everything had turned out alright. She was beyond relieved and said she would pass the news along; she had apparently called the others to let them know the Hotchners had found themselves in a sticky situation. Hotch groaned at the thought of the whole team being worried, but then thanked them for all their help.

Once Hotch had them back into the room, Kahlan texted Clyde and told him that the plane better be ready to take them back to Scotland or he would regret it.

'Of course!' Clyde texted back quickly.

Hotch smiled at Kahlan. "Should we order a big, expensive dinner before we leave since Clyde's the one footing the bill?"

She giggled. "Might as well since you will actually be able to eat now that you aren't worried anymore," she told him as her put her arms around his neck. They hadn't ate lunch because they had been too busy getting ready to face their unsubs.

He put his hands on her sides as he smiled. She winced and he quickly let her go. "What?"

"It's nothing," she tried as she moved away from him.

He grabbed her shoulder and turned her back to him. He gave her a knowing look and lifted her shirt. He winced as he took in a dark bruise on her side, and he shook his head at her. "I thought you said you were fine?"

"I am," she insisted and pulled away from him and grabbed the menu off the table. She handed it to him. "Pick out something good. I'm jumping in the shower. I'm going to wash two times," she started as she headed toward the bathroom door. "Make that three times," she corrected with a shudder as she remembered the man exploding.

Hotch chuckled and then picked up the phone.

Once he was done ordering and thought he had given her enough time to feel clean, he joined her in the shower.

She grabbed his arm and inspected the nasty bruise. "And you yelled at me?"

He pulled his arm away from her and sighed as he took in bruises on her. "Jesus, Babe," he said tenderly as he inspected the bruises on her upper arms that were huge hand prints.

"I'm fine, Hun," she told him.

He reached up and gently lifted her chin to inspect the bruise on her cheek; it wasn't that bad. _Thankfully._

She pushed his hand away, and then grabbed his chin to inspect the one forming at the corner of his mouth and the multiple ones on his neck that clearly showed thumb prints.

He snorted. "We make quite a pair, don't we?"

She held up her chin proudly. "I think we make one hell of a team!"

He laughed and pulled her into a hug. "Yes, yes we do."

XXX

After a dinner of steak and lobster tail, the couple packed up their stuff and headed to the airstrip. Kahlan had called Mickey and told him where to find the car and thanked him for all of his help. They boarded the little plane for the short ride back to the castle.

Once they were back, the whole family came out to greet them. They assured everyone that they were fine, and Rossi gave them knowing looks telling them that he expected a complete report as soon as they had some private time.

"Have you eaten?" Cindi asked them as they went back into the keep.

"Yes. We ate before we left London," Kahlan assured her mother.

They all joined the couple in the main room of their suite as the kids told them all about what they had done in their parents' absence.

"You should have seen it, Daddy. Jack was doing flips into the moat!" Joey told him as she climbed into his lap.

Rossi made a fire to take the chill off the room. "Bella was doing them, too," he told Hotch with a grin.

Kahlan chuckled. "We'll have to go swimming with you guys."

"You should have seen Wyatt on the horse," Jack told them. "Coll was showing him how to do the medieval stuff he knows."

"Yeah?" Kahlan asked.

"Oh yeah. He performs in the Medieval Festivals and everything," Wyatt told her with a big grin.

"Hear that, Hun? Our son is a squire," she told Hotch with a wide smile.

Hotch shook his head as he smiled at the matching grins on Kahlan's and Wyatt's faces

XXX

Once the kids and in-laws said goodnight, Hotch smiled deviously at Kahlan. "What?" she asked as she made her way to the dresser.

"Tower?"

She froze.

He chuckled and went up behind her. "Or do you want to wait until tomorrow night?"

She turned to him. "Not tonight, please. I really want to crawl into bed, snuggle up to the sexiest man alive, and sleep until I don't want to sleep anymore."

He smiled. "What the lady wants, she gets." He could see she was tired, so he pulled her into a strong hug and she took a long, deep breath. He felt her lungs stumble a little as she drew in the breath and a little twinge of guilt hit him because he realized she still wasn't fully recovered from everything with the Daniels and Damian case.

He got his pajamas on as he watched her get hers on. She let him crawl into bed and she got in and snuggled up to him. He felt her wince as she apparently hit a bruise and he mentally shook his head. _I should have never got you into that. I'm so sorry, Babe._ He gently kissed her on the head. "Good night," he told her as he wrapped his arm around her lightly.

She looked up at him. "I'm fine, Aaron, so you can stop beating yourself up. We did good today."

He smiled. "I know. I love you."

She snuggled in closer. "I love you, too. Good night, Hun."

XXX

As Hotch woke up, he realized his throat hurt. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and as his hand went past his mouth, he winced. _Why do you always hurt worse the next day?_ Once he got his eyes to focus, he looked at his watch and was surprised to find it was already after ten. _So much for breakfast._

He smiled as he looked at Kahlan still sound asleep lying halfway across his chest. The love he felt for her made his heart swell to the point of almost busting. He thought about trying to slip out from under her but decided to stay there and cherish the moment.

He could feel her breath through his shirt, and he smiled again knowing they could only be closer if they didn't have clothes on. Something about the closeness he felt with her made everything else in the world disappear. It was just him and his wife and all the bad things in the world didn't matter at that particular point in time. He sighed contently and wrapped his arm around her a little tighter.

She smiled up at him. "Morning, Hun."

He returned the smile and kissed the top of her head. "Morning, Babe. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"That's alright, but I really don't feel like moving just yet."

He chuckled. "We can stay like this all day if you want."

"While that would be nice, I think the kids will want to spend some time with us," she told him as she scooted up, gave him a kiss, and then laid on his shoulder.

"We still have over a week left. They know we're back and they know we're safe, so I think we can take our time this morning."

"How do you feel?"

"I'm alright. How about you?"

She stretched. "A little stiff," she admitted. "Maybe we should go relax in the hot tub."

He smiled and threw the covers back. "Then, let's go."

XXX

After lunch, they all went out for Angus to show them the falcons. Joey proudly showed them a young falcon she had been helping Angus train.

"Macky has been doing great!" Joey told them as she held the falcon in a gloved hand.

"You've actually been helping to train an animal to hunt?" Hotch asked her with surprise.

"He doesn't kill anything yet, Daddy. He goes after decoys," Joey told him seriously.

"Macky?" Kahlan asked her as she stroked the small falcon down the back.

"Angus let me name him!" Joey told her excitedly. "I named him after Macbeth."

They all laughed.

XXX

After dinner, Hotch took the kids out to play as Kahlan made her way to the library. Hotch had made her a fire in the room so she could curl up with a good book. She tried to relax, but with the mischief she had seen in Hotch's eyes all day told her that he was not going to give up on the tower. _ I swear, Hun, I don't know if this will be worth it or not._ She remembered what getting close to the tower had felt like and she bit her lip. _It'll scare him, too, and we won't have to go it in_, she tried to assure herself.

Once Hotch came back in and they bid the kids goodnight with kisses and hugs, he went in and took a shower.

Hotch emerged from the bathroom and watched his wife silently from the doorway. He studied her and knew she wasn't really engrossed in the book she had chosen because it was taking her far too long to turn the page; while she didn't read as fast as Reid, she was still a hell of a lot faster than the average person. He started to feel a twinge of guilt for what he was going to make her do. _Just stop it, Hotchner! She would do it to you and you know it!_ He watched her take a deep breath as she twirled her hair in her fingers. _She doesn't do that. Damn, she must be really worried._ He shook his head. _It'll show her that there isn't anything to be afraid of, though._ He ran a hand across the back of his neck. _Yeah, I'll have a little fun with her, but in the end, she'll be better off._

He walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. When she startled, he jumped, too, because he wasn't expecting her to react that way.

"Jesus Christ, Aaron!" she yelled as she jumped up.

He'd never been able to sneak up on her before and he knew how deep her thoughts had been. He tried to keep the grin off his face, but he failed. "Sorry, Babe."

Her look told him she didn't believe he was sorry any more than she thought he could fly, and he chuckled. "Ha ha ha," she told him sarcastically.

"Hey, I finally did it! I finally snuck up on the stealth queen!"

She licked her bottom lip as she stared him down. "You better enjoy it. Cause it will never happen again," she told him seriously.

He raised his brows in challenge. "Yeah?" She huffed, and he went around the chair and put his hands on her waist. "You ready?"

She sighed heavily. "As ready as I'll ever be."

He studied her. "Kahlan, you have made your into enemy camps facing overwhelming odds and I bet you never showed a glimmer of fear."

"But they were human," she told him seriously.

"Ghosts are human, too, or at least they used to be," he told her as he tried to hide smirk that wanted to show.

She pulled away from him as she shook her head. "Not everything that lurks in the dark is from the realm of humans."

He looked at her questioningly. "Are you saying you actually believe in demons and such, too?"

"Are you saying you don't? You've seen evil, Aaron."

He shook his head in disbelief. "Yeah, and it has all come in human form," he told her seriously.

She looked at him for a long moment. "Let's go. I want to get this over with as fast as I possibly can."

Guilt made its way back into his mind, so he went to her and pulled her to him protectively. "We don't have to do this, Babe. If it is going to bother you this much, let's just forget it."

"Why? So you can continue to tease me about it? I don't think so."

He studied her and his heart ached a little at the fear he could clearly see in her eyes. "I won't tease you anymore."

She huffed. "Yes you will." He was about to defend himself but she pulled away from him. "Maybe not tomorrow or the next day, but you will eventually because I would do it to you."

He swallowed hard. _I hate it when she knows what I'm thinking._


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Hotch licked his lips as he watched her grab her jacket. _Once she's scared, I'll comfort her and then show her there's really nothing to be afraid of._

She looked at him before going to the door. "I wish we had a flashlight."

"We could ask Sean for one, but I'd hate to have to explain why we want it." He looked around the room. "We could make this a little more authentic," he suggested. With her questioning look, he smiled and picked up the metal candle holder. "We can use candle power."

She smiled. "That is actually a really good idea," she told him as she went over and grabbed the matching one off the other table and took the box of matches from the mantel.

"So how do we get to the tower?" Hotch asked as he made his way to the door. He saw her shudder and bit his lip to stop him from laughing.

She sighed deeply. "We need to get into the passages from the hall," she told him and then led the way. He followed her past the kids' room and further into the castle. When she stopped next to a statue of armor, he looked at her questioningly. She grinned and then slid the statue to the left to reveal a secret passageway, and she giggled at his surprise.

"How did you all find these passages?" he asked her seriously as he followed her into it. When the statue slid back in place they were drowned in complete darkness and he froze. She giggled and he realized that she was further down the passageway than he thought. "Babe?" he asked quietly as he tried to find his way along. She giggled again and she was a lot further away. "Give me the matches," he told her as his arm scraped up against the side.

"What? Can't find your way in the dark, Aaron?" she asked from suddenly right in front of him.

He startled and she giggled again. "Damn it, Babe! How do you do that?"

"Do what?" she asked from behind him and he startled again.

"Stop that!" he demanded as he put out a hand and tried to grab her, but his hand couldn't find her. "Babe?" he asked quietly. After several thundering heartbeats, which he could clearly hear and feel his ears, he called out again. "Come on, Babe."

"You're not scared, are you, Hun?" she whispered into his ear and he turned to grab her, but she was gone again.

"Damn it, Kahlan. That's not funny!" he told her seriously.

She giggled from further down the passageway, so he took a tentative step forward. After a few more steps, he hit his head on a low rafter which caused him to emit a few choice words about what he would like to do to the wooden beam. She giggled again, but a match ignited in front of him. He stared her down as she lit her candle and then stepped up to him and lit his. "Sorry, Hun, I didn't think about you being so tall," she told him seriously.

He shook his head at her. "You can actually see in here?"

"Somewhat, but I have trained myself to be very aware of my surroundings. I can sense where the walls are and such, can't you?"

He huffed. "Not as well as you apparently."

She smiled. "I've been playing in the dark since I was little."

He studied her. "And you have been in here."

She grinned. "Yep."

He had always suspected her of having a sort of photographic memory, but he had never discussed it with her. "So you could find your way to the tower without a light?"

"Yes," she told him simply as she headed down the hall with him following.

"Then why did you want a flashlight?"

"Because I don't want to go in it without a light," she told him seriously.

He smiled as he followed her wordlessly. _Hmmmm. . . we'll have to see about that._

She turned a corner up ahead of him and when he turned the corner, she was gone. Not even the flicker of her candle could be seen, and he felt his heart quicken as he looked at the intersection he was faced with. _Damn it, Babe! Where the hell are you?_ He squatted down and looked at the footprints in the dust.

"Really, Aaron? It's not a crime scene to be profiled. Let's go," she told him as she came back down the passageway to the right.

"What? I was making sure there weren't any hoof prints in the dust."

Her head jerked around to look at the ground so fast that he had to wonder if she had suffered whiplash, and it made him chuckle. "That's not funny, Aaron!"

"Yes it is," he told her as he continued to laugh.

She huffed and went down the passage. After about twenty more minutes of twisting passages, she came to a halt. Hotch looked around, "this isn't it."

She shook her head slowly and pointed further down the passage.

He looked down and realized the foot prints stopped. "This is as close as you got?" he asked and she could hear the disbelief in his voice.

She shuddered. "Can't you feel it?" she asked so quietly that he had to strain to hear her.

"Feel what?"

She locked eyes with him and he could see the fear in hers. "That!"

His brows rose with question. "What?"

"You don't feel the. . . I don't know. . . the evil?"

He chuckled. "I don't feel anything," he told her seriously.

She bit her lip and cut her eyes to the side.

"What does it feel like?"

"Cold. Dark. Oppressing," she started and then looked him in the eyes again. "You really don't feel anything?"

"No. How do you know this even goes to the tower?" he asked her as he looked down the passageway even though it was too dark to see anything past the glow of the candle.

She took a little step back. "I just do."

He put his hand on the small of her back and urged her forward. "Then come on. I want to show you there is nothing to be afraid of."

She planted her feet and wouldn't let him move her forward. Her breathing quickened. "I. . . I don't think I want to go through with it," she confessed weakly.

He sighed as he put his arm around her shoulder. "Come on, you've come this far. You can do it."

She took another step back. "I've been this far. . . I don't. . ." she started as she shook her head violently.

"Just imagine it: that big four poster bed, rope, me, you. . ." Hotch whispered seductively in her ear.

She closed her eyes and he knew she was imagining it. He smiled and waited patiently to see what she'd do. She finally looked at him. "Alright, but I reserve the right to back out and not actually go in it if I feel like I can't handle it," she told him seriously.

He studied her and knew she was more scared than she wanted him to believe. "Alright," he quickly agreed.

"You promise?" she asked him as she swallowed hard.

"Promise what?"

"That you won't make me go in there if I don't want to."

He put his hands on the sides of her face. "There is nothing to be afraid of, Kahlan."

Her eyes narrowed in mistrust. "You didn't promise."

"Babe. . ."

She pulled away from him. "Fine! You want me to go in there that bad, let's go!" she yelled and took off down the passageway.

"Kahlan!" he called out and quickly caught up with her. "At least wait for me."

She cut her eyes at him. "Of course. I wouldn't want you to miss my reaction," she told him sarcastically.

He grabbed her hand. "Come on, we'll do this together." She looked away from him but she didn't pull her hand away from his, and he noticed that her palms were sweaty. "You're not armed, are you?" he asked softly because he wanted to make sure she couldn't hurt him if she got too scared.

She huffed. "What good would that do me? I told you, you can't kill something that's already dead."

_And yet you didn't answer the question._ He took a deep breath and started to wonder how safe it would actually be to try and scare her. _Hell, she can hurt me with just her hands. Hmmmm. . . Maybe I shouldn't try anything too drastic._

They came to a junction and stopped. He looked at the three ways in front of them, but he couldn't see anything that would tell him which way to go. Being in the dark tunnel had made him lose all sense of direction, so he looked at his wife. "Which way?"

She looked at the passages while she chewed on the inside of her cheek. He watched as her hands balled into fists and goose bumps erupted on her lower arms where she had pushed up the sleeves to her coat. She eyed the right passage warily and took a deep breath. "You still can't feel it?" she asked him quietly.

He looked down the offending passage. "No." She shuddered. "Maybe it's something like if you don't believe in it you can't see it or sense it," he tried. She huffed. "You know, like the unicorn legend in that book of Joey's. It says unicorns still exist but we can't see their horns because we don't believe in them."

"Joey believes," Kahlan quickly put in.

"I know. She believes in dragons, too."

She looked at him quickly, opened her mouth to say something, but shut it as she shook her head.

"You believe in dragons, too?" he asked flabbergasted.

She half shrugged. "How can you not?"

"Kahlan. . ."

"Then explain to me, Aaron, how is it that several ancient cultures have some form of dragon in their history? How can several places around the ancient world have stories and paintings of dragons way before travel between those cultures was possible? Are you saying that all of those people just imagined the creature around the same time? That it was all a giant coincidence? I thought you didn't believe in coincidences."

His brows furrowed. "When you put it like that. . ."

"Come on," she retorted and headed down the right passage and he could tell she was disappointed in him.

He shook his head as he followed closely behind her.

Suddenly both of their candles whooshed out. "Damn it, Aaron!" Kahlan yelled.

"That wasn't me!" he quickly defended himself. He heard her suck in her breath and then there was silence, a deathly, eerie kind of silence. "Babe?" he asked quietly as he took a step forward. The darkness was domineering and he had no idea where she was. "Kahlan?" He couldn't hear her breathing and he got a little worried.

"Then what the hell was that if it wasn't you?" she asked from behind him.

He startled and turned around as she struck a match. "The wind," he suggested as he touched his candle to the flame.

"Wind?" she asked and looked back the way they had come. "How come there hasn't been any wind before and there isn't any now? If the air was moving in here it would still be moving, wouldn't it?"

He shrugged. "Maybe someone came into the passageway somewhere else and the air that rushed in traveled down the corridor."

She bit her lip as she considered it and took a deep breath. "If you say so," she told him, but her tone betrayed how much she didn't believe him. She moved closer to him. "You can go first," she suggested with a look that told him how much she really wanted him to do it.

"Fine," he told her as he grabbed her hand and started to lead the way. As he walked along, he noticed marks in the dust on the floor. _Something has been through here but I have no idea what._ He was pulled out of his thoughts as he walked into a massive spider web. He groaned his displeasure as he tried to get it off his face as she laughed at him. "Well, at least that proves no one has been through here," he told her matter-of-factly.

She huffed. "At least not anything solid."

He shook his head and started down the passage again. After a few more minutes, they came to the bottom of the tower. She sucked in her breath as she looked up. She couldn't see very far, but whatever she was seeing, he could tell she didn't like it. The candle started shaking and he could tell she was trembling. _Jesus, Babe._ "Here, let me have that," he told her as he took the candle before she got hot wax all over herself. As soon as he took it, she frantically ran her hands down her arms, across the back of her neck, and down her thigh; she finally stilled as she stuffed her left hand under her right arm and grabbed the right side of her face and neck with her right hand.

Hotch almost chuckled as he watched her because she ended up in a position he had seen Joey in so many times. "You ok, Babe?"

She took a shuddering breath. "Yeah," she offered weakly as she shook her head 'no'.

He chuckled. "You sure," he asked as he handed her back the candle.

"No."

A loud bang from somewhere above them made Kahlan almost drop the candle as she flinched. Hotch thought for a second that she was going to jump into his arms. "That was not the wind!" she demanded as she got closer to him.

He put his hand on her shoulder and she flinched again. "Kahlan, you can tell from outside that the windows in the tower don't have any glass or coverings. That was probably the wind blowing something over or a bird knocking something over."

She chewed on her bottom lip nervously and swallowed hard.

"Come on, we're almost there," he urged her toward the steps going around the outside of the tower.

"Why do you think they don't use it?"

"What?"

"This tower! They've redone the whole castle and yet they haven't touched this section. Why is that?"

Hotch's brows rose as he considered it. "Could be any number of reasons," he told her as he stepped onto the first step.

A small whimper escaped her and she froze, still at the bottom. "Maybe because they know it's haunted."

He stopped and turned back to her. "It's probably because this stairwell doesn't have any sort of railing. Their insurance probably wouldn't cover something this dangerous," he told her calmly as he went back down to her. "You backing out?"

He studied her and thought she looked on the verge of panic and it bothered him because he had never seen her like that before. With everything she had faced since he's known her, every horrible thing she had gone through, he had never seen her panic; he didn't actually think she could. He took a deep breath and tried a different tactic. "We both have angels looking out for us," he told her softly as he put his hand on the side of her face.

Her head snapped up to look at him. She studied him and he knew she was trying to figure out if he believed what he had said. "Have you seen yours?"

His brows furrowed. "You have?"

She closed her eyes and he knew she had calmed down some. "I have seen and felt them," she told him quietly as she looked at him again.

He smiled. There had been times when he thought he had felt Haley's presence, especially in the beginning when he was having a rough day or a lonely night, but he had never told anyone about it, not even Rossi because he wasn't even sure he believed it. "Your dad?" he asked knowing she had lost a few who had meant a lot to her, but he knew her dad meant the most.

She smiled sadly but then shook her head and pulled away from him. "I don't want to give you something else to tease me about," she told him and then turned away from him.

He gently grabbed her shoulder and turned her back around. "I would never tease you about that, Babe," he told her tenderly.

She searched his eyes and knew he was telling the truth. "Not all things beyond our realm are bad," is all she offered.

He smiled and then looked up. "And bad things are not always hiding in the dark. Come on. Let me prove it to you."

She took a deep breath and then nodded weakly. "I hope you're right," she told him and then motioned for him to go first.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Hotch held Kahlan's hand as he started up the stairs to the tower. The way went slowly as he tried to focus on the winding stairs in front of him and Kahlan behind him. The closer they got, the slower she went, and he could feel her shaking slightly. "Come on, Babe. There's nothing to worry about," he told her tenderly as they went up.

She took a deep breath, but she didn't say anything. After a few more minutes, she stopped. "There aren't any webs up here," she told him quietly.

Hotch stopped and looked at her. "What?"

"Why aren't there any webs up here?" she asked as she studied the wall.

"Because it's an open stairwell. There's no place for them to accumulate."

She shot him a look that told him she didn't agree and then squatted down to examine to the steps. The candle shook as she moved it closer to the steps. "Those are drag marks."

Hotch bent down to look at what she was referring to. He moved his candle along the steps in front of him and the marks continued up the stairs past them.

"They're drag marks," she repeated.

"I don't think so," Hotch told her as he stood up. _At least I'm not going to tell you that they are._

She huffed as she stood back up. "They are not animal tracks."

"It's hard to say what they are," is all he offered. He held out his hand to her. "Come on, we're almost there."

She looked at his hand and licked her lips. "You go ahead. I'll wait here and you can let me know what you find."

He took a step back to her. "No. You are going with me."

She looked behind her and for a second he thought she was going to run back down the stairs, but she joined him on his step as a loud noise came up from the bottom. "What was that?" she demanded as she hid behind him.

With her getting in behind him, he was dangerously close to the edge of the steps, so he went up a step. "Something fell over."

"There wasn't anything down there to fall over!" she insisted quietly.

"Then I don't know," he started and had to hide a smile. "Are you sure you want to go back down there?"

She looked back and forth between up and down as she weighed her options. She moved to the edge of the steps and tried to see down into the darkness. He put his hand on her shoulder as her closeness to the edge made him nervous; he tried not to think about what would happen if she fell, but it was too late and he had to mentally shake his head to get the image to flee. "Up or down?" he finally asked as she moved closer to the wall.

She looked him in the eyes. "Your options suck."

He chuckled. "Yeah, but they are the only two you have at the moment."

The sound of scraping stone coming up from the bottom made her choice for her, and she went past him a couple steps at a time. "Kahlan! Wait up," he yelled as he tried to catch up with her.

She stopped as she breathed heavily. "You going to tell me that was something natural, too?"

He shrugged. "It's hard to say what it was."

"You're not the least bit bothered by any of this are you?" she asked as she studied him.

"No," he told her as he squared his shoulders.

She huffed and then looked back down the stairs as another bang made her flinch. He watched her. He was worried about her falling from the open stairs in a panic and he was starting to regret bringing her. She swallowed hard and took a tentative step up. "Maybe there's another way out of the tower," she suggested weakly.

"Maybe," he told her as she went up another step and he stayed close.

The stairs led to a trap door in the wooden floor of the tower, and Kahlan just stared at it as if would attack her. Hotch got up beside her and looked at the door and then at her. She was biting her lip so hard he thought she might actually bite through it. "Babe?"

She shook her head slowly. "Let me guess, you still can't feel it?"

His look told her he didn't. "Going in?"

A shriek from below made her move in behind him so quickly he almost lost his footing. "Jesus Christ! What the hell was that?!" she asked as she cowered in the corner.

Hotch looked down into the darkness. "I have no idea," he told her slowly. Her breathing was so ragged he thought she might start to hyperventilate. "Could it have been one of the falcons?"

"And it just happens to be in these passageways?"

"There are windows, Kahlan. Maybe the sound traveled from outside," he offered as he bent down beside her and put a hand on her knee.

Her eyes darted around as she considered it. After a few moments, she finally looked at him sheepishly. "I guess I look pretty stupid down here, huh?"

He shook his head. "I would never think that," he told her seriously, but then he smiled. "We can't stay here all night."

She took a deep breath. "I know," she told him as she accepted his hand and stood up. "Our candles would never last that long."

He had to hold back a chuckle. "Going in?" he asked as he looked at the door.

She eyed the latch as she chewed on her bottom lip. Her head tilted to the side as she looked at the ceiling above her. Her brows furrowed as she held her candle up to get a better look. She moved past her husband to look at it further.

"What?" he asked as she moved past him. He watched her, but he was focused on her feet as she got close to the edge of the stairs. When her toes were clearly hanging off the edge, his breath hitched in his chest. "Kahlan!"

"That's blood!" she told him as she pointed up.

He didn't look up; he grabbed the back of her jacket and pulled her back. "Jesus, Babe!"

"Isn't that blood?" she asked as she pointed again.

He finally looked up and saw a dark stain on the ceiling. It was obvious that something had leaked through the floor above at one time or another. "Not necessarily," he offered.

Her look told him that she didn't believe him. "Someone died up there."

"It's a castle. It has seen a lot of turbulent times, so it would surprise me more if no one had died up there."

She pursed her lips as she considered it.

"People have probably died in every room of this place."

Her head snapped to him. "Thanks, Aaron!"

He chuckled. "Well, it has been through a lot."

She took a deep breath.

He reached for the latch. With all of the rust all over it, it was obvious it hadn't been used in a while.

"Maybe it won't open and we won't have to go in it," she told him and he could hear the hope in her tone.

With a little urging from some well sculpted muscles, the latch busted free from its holder. He shot her a look and she cringed as he went up a couple steps and then swung the door open all the way. Several high pitched screams emitted within the tower and the newly opened space was flooded with bats.

A few colorful words escaped Hotch as he ducked his head and stumbled back a few steps to avoid the winged creatures.

Once the bats were swallowed by the darkness of the open stairwell, Kahlan laughed at him sitting on the step at her feet. "You're not afraid of ghosts and evil, but you're afraid of a little Fuzzy?"

Hotch stood up and straightened his shirt trying to recover some of his dignity. "They were a lot bigger than Fuzzy!"

She chuckled. "And yet, I bet you haven't touched Fuzzy either," she said in an accusing tone.

He huffed and ran a hand through his hair. "Are we going up?"

She studied him. "You are afraid of bats!"

"I am not!" he countered. "They just startled me!"

"Uh-huh."

"They almost pushed me down the stairs!"

"Yeah, cause all of those bats weighed so much more than you."

He huffed. "At least they were real," he challenged.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. "Go, if you are going. If not, move out of my way."

He swallowed hard at the threat in her voice. "I was just kidding, Babe."

"Sure you were."

More scrapping noises from below made her push past him and go up into the tower. He had to grab the open doorway to stop himself from being pushed too close to the edge. _Jesus, Babe!_ He took a deep breath and followed her up.

The moonlight seeping in through the many windows bathed the tower in an eerie light and he surveyed the room quickly: an ancient desk and chair were in front of one of the bigger window openings; a bookcase was set in between two of the other windows and it still housed several old objects; a big animal fur that was obviously used as a rug was folded over next to the trapdoor; there was a big, round metal something or other suspended from the ceiling and the half burnt logs proved it to be a fireplace set up in the center of the room; and off by itself, along the wall, was a huge, beautifully ornate, gilded mirror.

She was standing in the middle of the floor, silently looking around. He turned and shut the trapdoor because he didn't want either of them to accidently fall through the opening. "Doesn't look so bad," he offered as he went up behind her and put his hands on her waist.

She flinched when he touched her and she turned around quickly. "Don't do that!" she insisted.

"What?"

"Sneak up on me!"

"I didn't. I was talking to you," he defended himself as he studied her.

Her eyes left him and strayed to the side. He turned and realized she was looking at the mirror. Her eyes slowly made their way back to him. "Do you feel that?" she asked as she looked at the mirror again.

"What?"

"Like we're being watched."

He put his hands on her face and pulled her attention back to him. "We are the only ones up here, Kahlan."

She locked eyes with him and he could see fear in hers. "Physically that is."

He gave her a look that told her she was being irrational. "Babe," he started but she pulled away from him and went across the room. "Kahlan?"

She held up a hand and silenced him. "Do you hear that?" she asked in a whisper.

He stilled and listened, but he couldn't hear anything. "No."

She tiled her head. "You don't hear that?" she asked so quietly that he had to strain to hear her.

He walked over to her and listened again. "No."

She sighed and looked around.

"What does it sound like?"

She tilted her head again. "Like a beat or a drumming."

"It's probably your own heart in your ears."

She shot him a dirty look. "I know what that sounds like, Aaron!"

He held up his hands in submission. "Sorry. It was just a thought."

The chair by the desk suddenly fell over and she about fell over him trying to get behind him. "I supposed that was the wind, too?"

Hotch eyed the chair. "Had to be."

"And yet I haven't felt any wind."

He walked over to the chair.

"Don't touch it!" she yelled as he reached down for it.

He shot her a look and sat the chair back up. It wobbled and then fell again. "One of the legs is shorter. It's not stable."

She took a step back. "And yet it was standing just fine all this time." A glass globe rolled off a shelf of the bookcase and shattered on the floor behind her causing her to jump again. "Son of a bitch!" she exclaimed as she turned to see what had made the noise. "And what's your reasoning behind that?" she demanded to know.

He walked over to the book case and several things on it moved with the vibration of his walking. "Our walking and your jumping jarred it loose."

Her head snapped to the mirror. "I guess you didn't see that either?" she asked and he could tell she was on the verge of tears.

"What?" he asked gently as he made his way back to her.

She looked away from the mirror and squeezed her eyes shut. "I want to leave now."

He looked at the mirror. "If you saw something in the mirror, it was just a reflection, Babe."

Their candles blinked out and she dropped hers. "Can we please leave now?" she asked weakly.

He bent down and picked up the dropped candle. "Kahlan, there is nothing up here," he told her seriously. "Look at me, Babe," he told her as he put his hands on her shoulders. She slowly opened her eyes. "Whatever you think you are hearing or seeing is just your imagination running away with you, Babe, or a trick of the dim light, or the settling of an old floor that hasn't had anyone on it a long time."

She swallowed hard. "I want to leave."

He studied her and realized she was on the verge of panic again. "Why?"

She shook her head hastily.

He looked at the mirror. "You saw something in that?" he asked as he pointed to it.

She whimpered and nodded, and he noticed her hands were balled into fists. He started to turn her and she tried to pull out of his grasp as soon as she realized what he was doing. "No!" she yelled as he gripped her jacket to stop her from fleeing.

"You made me face myself in a mirror when I didn't want to see what was in it," he told her quickly as he tried to get a better handle on her.

She squirmed and tried, but she couldn't get away from him. "But that was your own reflection!" she told him as she stomped on his foot to try to get him to let her go.

"Ow!" he yelled as he finally let her go. "That's all you are going to see, too," he insisted as he rubbed his foot on the back of his calf.

"You want to see what's in the mirror? Then you see. I am not going up to it," she told him with enough of an edge in her voice that he knew better than to try and change her mind.

"Ok, Kahlan. I just didn't want you to go tearing out of here," he tried to defend himself.

"Do it if you're going to!" she demanded.

He ran a hand down his face and then turned to the mirror. "Alright. You will see that there is nothing to be scared of," he told her as he walked up to the mirror. He looked at her in the mirror and raised his brows as if to say 'see?'

She eyed him coldly.

"Nothing there, just a normal reflection," he told her as he watched her in the mirror.

Suddenly the mirror shattered, fell from the wall, and started to fall forward. Kahlan dove and tackled her husband. As they rolled out of the way, the mirror crashed onto the floor right where Hotch had been standing.

They both sat in stunned silence as they watched the dust settle around the fallen mirror. His head snapped to her and disbelief was clearly etched on his face.

She shook her head at him. "I guess that was the floor settling, too."

He swallowed hard. "You said you wanted to leave?"

"Yeah," she told him as they got up.

"Ok," he told her and went and opened the trap door. She lit the candles and they started their descent.

Once they reached the bottom, she took the lead, and they went the whole way in silence as they were both lost in their own thoughts.

They emerged from the passageway into the hall, blew out the candles, and made their way to their room. Hotch watched her as she went into the bathroom, and he had to wonder if she was still mad at him. He followed her. "I'm sorry I grabbed you like that," he told her as he cleaned himself up and got his pajamas on.

She studied him. "It's alright. I was probably close to running just like you thought." She went up to him and put her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry I stepped on your foot."

He raised his brows. "Stepped? More like pulverized."

She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

He grabbed her hand and led her to the bed. "It's late. Let's try to get some sleep," he told her as he climbed in.

She waited for him to settle and then snuggled up against his side. "Admit it. That mirror scared you."

He huffed. "Yeah. That thing probably weighs a ton. It could have crushed me."

"You know that's not what I meant."

He reached over and shut off the light. "I have no idea what you mean," he told her and then kissed her on the head.

"Sure you don't."

The dark hid his smile. "Goodnight, Babe."

She snuggled in tighter. "Goodnight, Hun."

XXX

The next morning after breakfast, Hotch caught Coll in the hall when no one else was around. "I want to thank you," Hotch started quietly. "What you did was perfect. You did just enough to keep her from turning back," Hotch told him with a grin.

Coll looked at him questioningly. "The horses got out last night, and I didn't get to go into the passages ways like you asked me to. I was actually coming to apologize."

"What?" Hotch 's heart skipped a beat. "You weren't in the passageways?"

"No, sir. I didn't even get back in from the horses until the sun was coming up."

Hotch swallowed hard. "Oh."

Coll looked at him warily. "So you've already done it? I don't need to do anything?"

"No, but thank you," Hotch told him and Coll walked away shaking his head. Hotch looked back towards the dining room. _I will never tease you again, Babe._ He ran a hand down his face and fought back a shudder.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

The whole family got together to go visit one of the nearby towns. Braemar was having a festival celebrating their quincentenary; five hundred years was a reason to celebrate. Living history, food, fun, games, pageantry, an open-air market, and many other things promised something for everyone.

When lunchtime rolled around, no one really wanted to sit down to eat, as they had all been sampling the fairs all morning. Kahlan, however, had something she needed to take care of. She disappeared and they all wondered what she was doing. Within five minutes she was back, an evil grin on her face and carrying a bag in her hand. She took the family to a picnic table and had them all sit down. While they had no idea what was going on, none of them objected.

Once Hotch had sat down, she placed the bag in front of him. He looked at her warily. "What's this?"

She giggled her evil giggle and ripped the bag open to reveal a paper tray with something steaming in it. "A deal's a deal."

Hotch looked down at the tray and he had to fight back the urge to throw up. "Really, Babe?"

The kids all leaned up to see what was in the tray. "What's that?" Jack asked and they could all see the disgust on his face.

"That, Jack, is haggis," Kahlan told him with a smile as Hotch's face lost of its all color.

"Ewwww. What is it?" Joey asked as she basically got up on the table to see it.

"Haggis is a mixture that contains sheep's heart, liver and lungs; minced with onion, oatmeal, sheep fat, spices, and salt mixed with stock and traditionally encased in a sheep's stomach and simmered for approximately three hours," Wyatt told her casually. With their looks, he explained. "After hearing about it at Aunt Emily's, I looked it up."

Joey looked on the verge of tears. "You're going to eat that, Daddy?"

"Thanks, Wyatt," Hotch told him dryly.

"Yes he is," Kahlan told Joey.

"That's gross!" Joey exclaimed and got up from her seat.

"I'm with Joey on that one, I'm not watching either," Cindi told them and got up. She took Joey's hand and they walked away from the table.

"Why would you want to eat that?" Rossi asked with disbelief.

"I don't want to, that's for sure," Hotch told him and then swallowed hard.

"What did you mean by 'deal'?" Jack asked Kahlan.

"Dad and I had a bet; he lost," Kahlan told him with a grin.

Jack and Wyatt both shot Hotch a look that said 'Really, you bet against Mom?' but they didn't say anything.

Kahlan scooted the tray closer to him and handed him a plastic fork. "Eat up."

"I was really hoping you had forgotten about that," Hotch told her as his stomach flipped.

"Not on your life," she told him with a grin and stuck the fork into the middle of the mound.

Hotch mouth flooded with saliva, not because he thought it was going to taste good; no, it flooded with saliva as a defense mechanism to protect the mouth form the acid in the stomach. He swallowed the excess drool and took a drink of his coffee.

"So is that one in an actual stomach?" Wyatt asked as he got closer to look at it.

Hotch's stomach lurched and he made like he was going to lose his breakfast. "Shut up, Wyatt!"

Wyatt and Jack shared a quick grin.

"We're waiting," Kahlan told him as she raised her brows.

Hotch took another long drink of his coffee as he stared her down. If looks could kill, she'd be dead. He took in a long slow breath, shook his head, grabbed the fork, and dug in. He shoveled a massive bite into his mouth and the boys cheered. His upper body jerked several times as chewed, but he swallowed it without having to run to the nearest trashcan, and they all clapped. He took another deep breath and took another bite.

After getting it all down, Rossi went and got him another cup of coffee and they started walking around again. "After I got past the disgusting thoughts in my head, it didn't taste extremely bad," Hotch confessed as he and Kahlan walked hand in hand.

"I can't believe you ate it all," she told him.

"A bets a bet," Hotch told her as he shrugged.

"The bet was to eat it, not to eat it all," she told him with a grin.

His eyes got wide as he considered her words. "Why you!" he started and she took off running, laughing the whole time. "Kahlan Lavonne Hotchner!" he yelled and took off after her. Everyone else laughed as they watched him chase her down.

She giggled as he half tackled her into a huge pile of hay. She squirmed to get away from him, but he got on top of her and held her arms down as he smiled deviously. She studied him as her eyes got big. "No!"

"Come on, Babe! Give me a kiss!"

"I am not kissing you after you ate that!"

"Yes you are!" he told her and then leaned down.

She tried to wiggle out of his grasp and turn her head, but he ended up planting a massive, slobbery kiss on her lips.

He got off of her and stood up as she coughed and gagged. "I can't believe you did that!" she yelled as she wiped her mouth off roughly.

"I can't believe you let me eat the whole thing!"

XXX

They made their way through the town to watch the jousting tournament. They all sat in the bleachers and picked out which night they would support. Once they realized Coll was the red knight, they cheered for him. He started out doing very well, but as he progressed through the tournament, he started facing harder and harder opponents. One burly, bearded man took him off his horse on the first pass.

After the tournament was over, they all went down to congratulate Coll on how well he did do, and he thanked them. "You should let the lad enter the ring contest," Coll suggested to Hotch and Kahlan.

"What's that?" Hotch asked pensively.

"It's where you use a lance to stab rings that are suspended from strings," Jack told him with a smile.

"From horseback?" Kahlan asked.

"Aye, and your lad is really good," Coll assured her and then looked at Hotch. "It not dangerous," he assured him.

Wyatt looked back and forth between the two, his face hopeful. Hotch chuckled. "Go. Show them what a Hotchner can do," Hotch told him as he patted him on the back.

"Yes!" Wyatt yelled as he and Jack ran to see where to sign up.

Angus ran up to Joey. "Macky is competing. You should come watch him," he told her with a grin.

Joey's eyes got big as she looked at her parents. Rossi laughed. "We'll take her," he told the couple as he held Cindi's hand.

"Go. Have fun," Kahlan told her and Joey grabbed her grandparents' hand and they followed Angus.

Hotch looked at Kahlan. "How is it that we try to spend time with the family and yet we always find ourselves alone?"

She laughed. "There's probably a contest you could get in," she suggested as she grabbed his hand and led him toward a line of colorful tents.

He huffed. "More like you. I somehow don't think there will be any shooting contests."

"Don't sell yourself short. I'm sure you would be amazing at anything you actually tried. Just because you've never done something, doesn't mean you wouldn't be good at it." He looked at her disbelievingly. "Please, you excel at everything you do!"

He shrugged. "It would fun to watch you best some of these big guys at one of their own games," he told her with a smile.

She huffed. "These guys practice this stuff all year. I wouldn't stand a chance."

"Now who's selling themselves short? I bet if there was a knife throwing contest you'd win the gold."

She shook her head. "I'm not that good."

He snorted. "Yeah, you're probably right. Anyone who can catch a knife thrown at her and then throw it back within a split second is probably way too rusty," he told her dryly.

"It's actually not as hard as you think it is. All it is, is timing."

He choked on a laugh. "Yeah, perfect timing."

She shrugged and he shook his head at her.

They walked around and Kahlan stopped at a blacksmith's stall. They watched as the massive man pounded on a sword he was making. Hotch watched Kahlan as she went around and looked at the items the blacksmith had for sell. He smiled as he noticed her eyes sparkling as she ran a hand over the various blades. The blacksmith moved the heated blade to a bucket of water and the hisses brought her attention back to him. He smiled at her and then went up to her. "Anything I can help you with, Miss?"

"I was just admiring your work," Kahlan told him politely.

"Thank you," he told her with a grin as he glanced at Hotch. Hotch joined his wife as she picked up a knife and examined it. The blacksmith smiled. "You know your blades."

Hotch looked at him questioningly and then looked at the knife in Kahlan's hand; it was plain compared to most of them on the table. "Why do you say that?"

The black smith gave him a knowing look and picked up a short knife from behind him. "Because she is drawn to the best made ones. Most people are drawn to the best looking ones," he told him as he handed the knife to Hotch.

Hotch took it an inspected it. "It's a lot lighter than I thought it would be," he confessed and then handed it to Kahlan.

Kahlan took the knife and smiled. "This is exquisite," she told him as she studied the black blade.

The blacksmith beamed. "It's one of my favorites. It's an alloy I made myself."

Kahlan flipped it in her hand. "Nicely balanced."

He nodded. "And sharper than a normal steel blade." Kahlan nodded as she studied the blade. "I don't care what anyone says. Nothing beats an old fashion honing."

Kahlan smiled as she handed it back to him. "Laser edging may be sharper, but they can't hold it for very long."

The blacksmith laughed. "Exactly."

"You really do have wonderful pieces," Kahlan told him with a smile and then started to move away.

Hotch looked at her and then back to the blacksmith. "Thank you," Hotch told him politely and they caught up with his wife. "You didn't want that?"

"No," she told him as she grabbed his hand.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't need it," she told him with a smile and then pulled him further down the line of stalls.

He shook his head. "You never buy yourself anything."

She put her arm around his waist. "Because I already have everything I could ever want."

He chuckled and then pulled her to a stop in front of a bakery. "I bet you might want something in here," he told her with a grin.

She looked through the window at the various sweets and sighed deeply. "I would get so fat if I lived near someplace like this."

He snorted. "Like that could ever happen," he told her as he opened the door for her.

"I don't want to go in there," she insisted. "You know I have no willpower when it comes to sweets."

He chuckled and pulled her through the door. "I know."

"You are mean," she told him.

They emerged a few minutes later and Hotch laughed at her. "You have powder sugar on your nose," he told her and reached over with a napkin to wipe it off.

She reached over and dusted his shirt off. "You have it all over you, too." She smiled as she took another bite of the pastry. "These are sinful."

Hotch laughed. "And a hell of a lot better tasting than haggis," he told her quietly.

She giggled.

Hotch's phone vibrated and a text from Jack told them that Wyatt's turn was coming up, so they made their way over to the bleachers again to cheer for their son.

Wyatt impressed everyone when he snagged all of the rings in round one without any difficulty. Each round found the rings placed in more difficult places, and Wyatt made it to the fourth round before he missed one. Everyone missed one, though, so he advanced to the final round.

Hotch watched as Kahlan nervously sat on the edge of her seat awaiting Wyatt's turn. Three people went before him; two men and a young man, all much older than Wyatt and local to boot. The first man missed three, the second man missed four, and the young man only missed two. Coll's horse danced under Wyatt as it waited for the signal to go, and when Wyatt's legs squeezed him, he reared up in excitement.

Hotch's stomach flipped as he thought Wyatt might fall off, but he held on and readied the lance. By the time Wyatt had reached the end of the run, five rings stuck on his lance and the crowd went wild. One more competitor after Wyatt missed one ring making Wyatt the champion, and Hotch, Kahlan, Jack, ran down to congratulate him.

When Wyatt went up to receive his trophy, the honorary princess of the festival gave him a kiss on the cheek, and Hotch laughed at how red Wyatt turned. He returned to his parents still embarrassed but proudly displaying the small colorful lance that proved his victory. Coll had joined them, too, and he clasped Wyatt on the back. "I knew you were good. If you lived here and trained you could take all the trophies," he told him proudly.

"It's just because you're such a great teacher," Wyatt told him.

Hotch shot Kahlan a grin and she smiled.

After they met back up with Joey and them, the girls left the boys with plans to meet up later because the girls wanted to browse the market. Hotch and Rossi took the boys to watch a sword competition, but Hotch left them to do some exploring on his own.

After an hour or so, they all met back up and Joey told the boys about the banquet the town was having and all of the kids begged the adults to attend. "It's going to be just like the Middle Ages! They're not even going to have silverware!" Joey told them excitedly.

"We get to eat with our hands?" Wyatt asked and Joey nodded enthusiastically.

"But you can't go in unless you're dressed in period costume," Cindi told them. "But they have a wide variety available to choose from."

Hotch shot Kahlan a look and she laughed.

"Please, Daddy!" Joey pleaded with her puppy dog eyes. Kahlan giggled because she knew Hotch could never say no to her when she did that.

He shook his head and then looked at his wife. "I am not wearing tights!"

The kids erupted in cheers as Kahlan shook her head at him. "They didn't wear tights in the Middle Ages. That's more like the Renaissance."

"Oh," Hotch said as he followed the kids.

She leaned in close to him. "Although, you would even look hot in tights!"

He balked at the thought.

"They wore things like long underwear under their armor, but other than that, it was normal kinds of clothes," she explained to him.

They reached the tents offering the costumes and Hotch looked at Kahlan. "I guess you want to pick it out?"

"Please," she asked as she gave him her pouty face.

He laughed. "Go ahead," he told her and she started searching through them. "But I will not be a jester!" he insisted when he saw her pause by a loud costume.

She gave him a weird look. "Never. You are way too serious to pull that off anyway."

Within no time, they were dressed and headed into the large banquet hall, but not before Kahlan had them all pause for a family picture.

After dinner of traditional foods that consisted of a lot of different meats and breads and entertainment mixed with a lot of laughter and messy hands, they changed and headed back to the castle. Hotch noticed several bags in the back of the SUV, and he laughed at the girls' shopping habits. Once they got back to the castle, the kids talked Hotch and Kahlan into going horseback riding.

After about an hour of that, it was getting dark, so they headed back. Kahlan complained of being cold, so Hotch suggested she go in and warm herself by a fire and he would take care of getting her horse put away, so she accepted and told the kids goodnight with kisses and hugs.

*new pics on the 'Hotchner Family Vacation' page on the website. the tales of hoffer. com (no spaces)


	24. Chapter 24

*Lots of Adult content below! And rope!

**Chapter 24**

By the time Hotch got back to the room it was almost ten and Kahlan had already showered. He frowned. "You couldn't wait for me?"

She smiled. "You go ahead," she told him from the chair as turned the page of the book she was reading. She was wearing the fluffy robe, and he had to wonder if she had anything on underneath it.

"Ok," he said disappointedly and pouted his way into the bathroom.

As soon as he shut the door, she jumped up and went to the bedroom.

Once he was done, she met him at the bathroom door. He looked at her questioningly and she grinned. "I got rope."

"Yeah?" he asked as his heart quickened.

She giggled and grabbed his hand and pulled him into the bedroom. He saw rope tied to the posts of the bed and his heart beat even faster. She slipped the robe off of him and moved him to bed. "You're not nervous, are you?"

He swallowed hard. "Why would I be nervous?"

She giggled again and pushed him down onto the bed.

"You want to tie me up?"

"Oh yeah." Kahlan gave him a smile that almost made his heart stop. He wasn't sure if it was devilish or lustful, but it scared him. She studied him and giggled her evil giggle as she tied up first his left wrist and then his right. "You trust me, don't you, Hun?"

He took a shaky breath. "Yeah."

She giggled again as she tied up his right ankle and then his left. "Then relax."

He took another breath and tried to will his heart to slow down. "Ok."

She crawled back up the side of the bed. "I won't hurt you, Aaron," she told him softly.

He licked his lips. "I know."

She studied him as she tilted her head back and forth. "Then why are you so scared?"

He took a quick breath. "I don't know," he told her honestly.

She gave him a sympathetic look. "We don't have to do this."

He took another deep breath. "I'm ok."

"You sure?" she asked tenderly as she started to rub a hand up his thigh.

He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing down. "Yeah."

She ran her hand up to his side. "Yeah?"

He opened his eyes and smiled. "Yeah," he said more strongly.

"K," she told him with a grin and then tickled his side.

"Stop!" he demanded as he tried to pull away from her. "Kahlan! That's not fair!"

She laughed as she continued.

"Babe, please!" he pleaded in between laughs.

She reached up and tickled his underarm and he laughed even harder. Then she reached over with her free hand and grabbed his other side at the same time, and he was squirming trying to get away from the assault of her fingers. When she attacked his most ticklish spot, where his inner leg met his torso, he couldn't breathe from laughing so hard.

After about another thirty seconds she finally took her hands away from him. When he finally realized she had stopped he gasped for air. He shook his head at her. "That was flat out mean, woman!"

She laughed. "Yeah, but I love how ticklish you are."

"It's not fair when you're not."

"Does anyone else know you're ticklish?"

He looked at her.

"I guess not. You definitely don't give people the impression you are."

"No. There is nothing about me that lets anyone think it is alright to touch me."

She laughed again. "Well, I love it," she told him as her hand inched a little closer to him.

He flinched away from her. "Why? Why would you do that?"

"You're a little more relaxed now, aren't you?"

He huffed, but he still wore a smile. Just then, he heard the door to the room open, and the look of terror that crossed his face made her laugh. "Who is that?" he asked quickly as he pulled on the ropes with all of his limbs as if he was trying to cover himself.

"Calm down. The door to the bedroom is locked. I had a little room service delivered," she told him with a smile and got off the bed.

He watched her go out of the room and shut the door behind her. For a split second, he had the horrible thought that she might not come back. _What do I do if she doesn't? Oh God. What if someone found me like this?_ His panic left him, though, as the door opened back up and she pushed a food cart up to the bed.

He studied what was on it and his brows rose in surprise. "Exactly how long is this going to take?"

She giggled. "Hopefully all night," she told him with a smile as she grabbed something off the cart and sat down on the bed next to him.

"Oysters on the half shell?" he asked with a sly grin. "You really think I need an aphrodisiac?"

She giggled. "Not normally, but you will tonight."

He swallowed hard as he studied her. _Really, Babe?_

She leaned over and offered the oyster to him. He sucked it out of the shell and swallowed it, as she ate one, too, and then offered him another. All of the bending made her robe become looser and he noticed she was wearing her blood red, lace bra, and he imagined the matching panties, too. He licked his lips, and she offered him another oyster.

After they finished off the oysters, she dipped a big strawberry in whipped cream and held it out to him. He smiled and leaned forward to take a bite, but she moved it back where he couldn't reach it as she giggled. He laid his head back on the pillow, and she held it out again. "No. You eat it," he pouted not wanting to be teased with it again.

She giggled and moved the strawberry to her lips. Instead of taking a bite of it, she painted her lips with the cream seductively. His manhood twitched as he watched her wide eyed. Inserting the berry halfway into her mouth, she leaned down and offered him the other half.

He moaned as he took the berry into his mouth and tried to get as much of the whipped cream as possible before she pulled away.

She giggled. "You're really hungry, huh?"

He smiled. "Ravenous."

She dipped a little strawberry into liquid chocolate. He licked his lips as he watched her move it to her mouth expecting her to do the same thing. "Oops," she started as it fell into her boobs. "I dropped it."

His breathing quickened. "Here, let me help you with that," he offered as he sat up as far as the ropes allowed.

She flicked her brows, leaned forward, and he buried his face in her breasts. Her head fell back in pleasure as he consumed the berry and licked up all of the chocolate.

He finally fell back to the bed panting. "Damn, that was good."

She grabbed another berry and dipped it in the chocolate and then the cream. She slowly held it out to him. He waited for her to get close and then he leaned forward and grabbed it with his teeth, but not before most of the topping had dripped onto his chest. "Oops," she laughed. "I guess I've made another mess."

He quirked his brows as he chewed the berry and she leaned down and started licking the toppings off of him. He sank down into the mattress as he savored the attention. "God, Babe," he breathed as she nibbled on him, and he felt his manhood grow.

The movement caught her eye, and she looked down at him and smiled. "Apparently he wants a little attention, too." Hotch smiled as she dipped her fingers into the chocolate and moved down the bed. She rubbed the chocolate down one side of him and he twitched with her touch. "It's not too warm, is it?"

"Nooo," he breathed lightly.

She giggled and spread the chocolate around him. He closed his eyes and sank into the pillow even more as she started to lick the chocolate off of him. As he grew and stiffened even more, she took him into her mouth completely, and the soft sounds emitting from him signaled his approval.

Before she took him too far, she released him and went back up to the cart. He groaned his disappointment. She smiled and then took a piece of ice out of the chiller bucket. He looked at her questioningly. "You're all sticky," she told him and then moved back down and started rubbing the piece of ice all over his manhood.

He sucked in his breath. "That's cold."

"Don't worry. I'll warm him back up," she told him as the ice started melting and she rubbed the water around. She reached and grabbed another piece of ice and he flinched away from the coldness. She held him and rubbed the ice all over him.

"Careful. You'll give him frostbite," he joked as he watched her.

"Ouch, that would suck," she told him seriously as she thought about it.

"You think?"

She giggled as the ice melted. "I guess I better really warm him up, then, huh?"

He nodded vigorously and she laughed. He watched as she got off the bed and shimmied out of her panties. His dimples shown as he watched her straddle him. "Oh God," he moaned as she mounted him.

She rode him a few times and then clenched her muscles around him and he sucked in his breath as his arms pulled against the rope.

"Release me," he told her through moans of pleasure.

"What?"

"I want to touch you."

"No."

"Please?"

"No," she told him more firmly as she rode him slowly.

"But. . . I need to. . . touch you," he pleaded as he pulled against the ropes even more hoping she hadn't tied them too tight, but there was no escaping.

"No you don't," she told him and then pulled off of him.

"Why did you stop?" he asked desperately.

"I think he's warm enough," she told him with a grin.

"Warm hell, he was getting hot."

"I know," she told him simply and moved back up to sit next to him. "Does he need to be cooled back down?"

"What do you mean?"

She giggled and grabbed a few more ice cubes. He watched her as she moved close to him and then inserted them into her and then mounted him again. "Can you feel them?"

"Yes," he breathed as his eyes got wider.

"What's that look for?"

"It's kind of an odd sensation," he started and had to pause as pleasure rippled through him. "I can feel the cold. . . and your heat," he panted.

She rode him a little more. "Awww. I think they've melted," she told him and then pulled off of him again.

"That's mean," he told her seriously.

"Yep," she agreed and grabbed a Gatorade out of the chiller bucket.

He laughed when he saw it. "I was expecting a beer or something."

She smiled deviously. "I don't want you to get dehydrated," she told him as she opened the bottle and put a straw in it and offered it to him.

He took several drinks as he studied her. _My God, Babe, exactly what do you have planned for me?_

She saw his scrutiny and she giggled her evil giggle. He choked as he inhaled and she pulled the drink away quickly. "Are you ok?" she asked him quickly as he coughed.

He nodded. "What else are you going to do to me?" he asked once he could speak again.

She noticed he had gone soft so she flicked her brows and moved up and reached to the back of his head. "Anything I want to do," she told him seductively as she grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled back towards the pillow.

His eyes shut as he moaned and pulled away from her.

"You like that, don't you?" she asked as she pulled a little harder.

He nodded as well as he could with most of his hair in her hand, and she noticed goose bumps appearing on his arms and chest.

She laughed as his manhood twitched and she let go of his hair and ran her nails down the back of his head. "Damn, Hun. You really like that," she told him as she watched his manhood twitch some more.

"Oh yeah," he breathed.

She reached down with one hand and ran her nails up the inside of his thigh as her other hand pulled his hair again.

A sensual moan escaped him.

"On my God," she started as she let go of him and sat up. He looked at her questioningly. "You're a masochist."

"What?" he asked with shock.

"I don't know why it never occurred to me, but it just hit me."

He shook his head. "No I'm not!"

"Maybe not in every sense of the word, but you are a sexual masochist."

He licked his lips as he considered it and a sly grin spread across his lips. "Possibly, but you're a sadist."

She giggled. "Well, of course I am," she told him seductively and grabbed his hair again. The harder she pulled, the more he moaned. "Damn, Aaron. I think you might like to get dominated," she told him as she watched his manhood twitch and grow.

She watched his face and she knew he was thinking about it.

"Maybe," he breathed as she ran her nails down his chest.

"I could play that role for you, if that's one of your fantasies," she whispered into his ear and then nuzzled his head to the side and bit down on the bump behind his ear.

"Oh, yeah," he whispered as he quivered. "I can picture how sexy you would be in black leather so tight that it creaks when you move."

She giggled into his ear and then bit his earlobe. "That will have to wait for another time, though. I have other plans for you tonight," she told him as she pulled away and reached for the nightstand.

"What?" he asked as he watched her.

She flicked her brows and turned and grabbed something out of the nightstand drawer.

"What's that?" he asked as she turned back to him. She smiled, but didn't say anything as she reached up by his head. "What are you doing, Babe?" he asked a little desperately. She giggled and slid something over his head. "Kahlan!" he half yelled through the black hood.

"What? I don't want you to see what I'm going to do." she told him softly as his breathing and pulse quickened.

"Come on, Babe. That takes all the fun out of it," he tried.

"Fun for who?" she asked as she leaned down close to his neck. He flinched away and she giggled and kissed him tenderly. As soon as he felt her lips on him, he relaxed, and she kissed a trail down the top of his chest and then sat up.

She giggled again as his head moved slightly and she knew he was trying to figure out what she was going to do next. She moved down the bed, touching him lightly here and there.

"Babe?"

"What?"

"What are you doing?"

She giggled and then moved over his leg. "You'll see," she started and then laughed. "No pun intended."

"Ha ha ha."

"Relax, Aaron," she told him as she ran her hands up his legs and then grasped his manhood.

"Ohhhhhh," he groaned as she took him into her mouth. Her tongue snaked up and down him and she felt him grow and harden with the attention.

She released him and planted a kiss on the tip. "Now hold very still."

"What?" he asked desperately as his legs tensed.

"Hold still," she repeated as she cradled his balls.

"Why?" he asked quickly.

"This might be a little uncomfortable to begin with but it will be worth it."

He shifted and tried to get out of her grasp. "Don't."

She giggled. "Be still, Hun."

She saw his breathing quicken, but he held still. She smiled and maneuvered her fingers to find another pleasure spot. He grunted a little as her fingers pushed into the sensitive skin under his manhood and he tensed some more as she pushed even harder. "Relax, Hun," she instructed, but he started to pull away from her.

The ropes holding his ankles became taut, and he couldn't go any further as she shifted closer and continued pushing her fingers into him. What started as a gasp ended up turning into a long moan of pleasure as she found the spot. "Oh my God," he exclaimed as she basically massaged his insides from the outside.

As he moaned some more, she started stroking his manhood with her other hand. Within no time he was thrusting against her and panting in pleasure. He felt himself getting close and tried to hold back, but he couldn't; fluids erupted out of him as he whined with the release.

She stroked him a few more times and then laughed. "Told you it would be worth it."

He breathed heavily. "What the hell was that?"

She giggled. "Your prostate. It's supposedly one of the best g-spots on a man. I guess that's true."

He nodded quickly as he still struggled to catch his breath.

She got up and grabbed a towel.

His head turned to her and she knew he was trying to track her movements, so she smiled and silently her way to the other side of the bed. He startled when the towel touched him but relaxed once he figured out what it was. She wiped him clean and then crawled onto the bed. She got up close to him and leaned down by his ear. "Now I am going to take to the edge," she whispered as she ran a hand up and down his chest lightly. "But I won't let you go over."

"What?" he asked as his head moved toward her.

"You heard me," she told him as her hand made its way down him.

"How are you going to do that?" he asked shakily.

She giggled. "I have my ways," she told him as she started to massage him.

He moaned as she started kissing his chest in different places still massaging him. "I don't think he's ready for round two just yet," he told her quietly.

She giggled. "He will be," she told him as her fingers found one of his pleasure spots.

"Aaaaa," he breathed as he felt himself stiffen.

She massaged him some more and found another pleasure spot.

"Damn, Babe," he told her as he started thrusting into her hand.

She quickened her massage as he grew. Within moments he was panting and she released him.

His head moved back and forth as he tried to figure out what she was going to do next.

She smiled and moved down the bed. She moved in between his legs and he held his breath in anticipation and she rubbed her breasts up and down him. Even through the hood, she could tell he was smiling. "You like that?"

He nodded as his breaths came in ragged intervals.

She stopped and positioned herself differently. He sucked in his breath as she mounted him again and slowly slid down. He rose up to meet her and she tightened around him and he gasped. When she reached around and pulled down on his delicate sack, he groaned loudly. She giggled and rode him a few more times.

When he was really getting into it, she pulled off of him and he whined. She smiled. "That's as far as you go."

"What?" he asked desperately.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not done with you," she told him quietly as she ran a hand up his leg.

He swallowed hard. "That's not nice," he told her seriously as his legs tensed.

"No, no it's not," she agreed as she moved to the other side of the bed.

"He'll just go soft. It'd be a shame to waste him," he tried.

"No he won't," she told him as her hands traced down his other leg and she massaged his foot.

He felt a release of tension he didn't realize he had as she moved her massage up his leg. He moaned softly. "That feels good."

She giggled and then found a spot on his inner thigh.

He sucked in air as goose bumps rippled down his leg.

"See? He likes that."

He nodded in the hood and she moved to his other leg.

She started at his thigh and worked her way down, hitting several points.

He felt himself relaxing again, but before he knew it, he felt a wave of pleasure rip through him and he thrusted against nothing. "Oh, come on, Babe."

"What?"

He trusted again. "Please."

"Please what?"

All of his leg muscles tightened as he rose off the bed. "Grab him, touch him, something," he pleaded as he thrusted.

She giggled her evil giggle. "Nope."

He fell back to the bed. "What?"

"No. There will be no more touching him for a while."

His breathing quickened.

She reached and hit a few spots around his hardened manhood. He shifted and tried to get her to touch him as pleasure made its way through him again.

"You are mean!" he exclaimed as he as his toes curled.

"Yep," she told him simply as she leaned down to kiss his thigh.

"Why?" he asked desperately.

She giggled her evil giggle. "You'll see," she told him in between kisses as she traced his 'V' with her lips.

"See what?"

"Stop worrying and enjoy this, Aaron," she told him seriously as she found another spot that he hadn't felt before.

He let out a long groan. "But it would feel. . . so much better. . . if you weren't ignoring him," he told her seriously.

"Oh, I think he's enjoying this, too."

He trusted into the air. "No he's not."

"No?" She reached down and hit a spot right next to his ever increasing manhood. "How about now?"

"Please, Babe!"

She giggled and then moved in between his legs again.

He held still as he assumed she was finally going to give in.

She giggled as if reading his thoughts and moved to take one of his balls into her mouth.

He cried out in pleasure as his whole body tingled.

She giggled against him and the vibration made goose bumps erupted over most of his body.

He tried to move to make her touch him, but she shifted away from him stealthfully as she took his other ball into her mouth.

"Please," he begged again.

After pleasuring that one, she released him and then started her massage on his lower abdomen.

After what felt like forever, she stopped touching him all together. His head snapped around trying to figure out where she was as his breathing came in ragged intervals.

Kahlan watched him quietly as he continued to thrust against nothing. "You ok?" she asked him quietly.

"My God, Babe. . . What have you done to me?" he asked weakly.

"What do you mean?"

"Have you stopped. . . my ability to cum?"

She giggled. "I don't even think that is possible, Hun."

"Then why. . . can't I?"

She smiled. "You can and have a couple times, Aaron."

"Then why. . . do I feel like this?" he asked desperately.

"I told you I was going to take you to the edge."

He started to pant again. "Then release me."

"Not yet."

"Just one hand," he begged.

"Oh no, you're not allowed to touch him either."

"Babe!" he grunted as his while body tensed.

"Come on, Hun. You can handle this."

He shook his head violently. "No I can't!"

She studied him. "You have better stamina then I do, Aaron."

He shook his head. "No! This is torture!" he screamed as he continued to thrust into the air.

She wasn't even sure he realized he was doing it. "Yep."

He whimpered. "This is what. . . you've had planned,. . . the whole time?"

"No," she told him tenderly as she got close to his ear. "I just want to make up for that tower."

"What?!"

"I told you to make sure it was worth it."

"Alright! I'm sorry!. . . Please, Babe!"

"Not yet. You still have thirteen minutes."

"What?!" he cried.

"I want to make sure you have the same amount of time I did."

"You timed it?"

She giggled. "Yep."

His head fell back onto the pillow as he whined.

"But don't worry. Once I let you go over the edge, it will be the best orgasm you have ever had, and that will be so much better than my experience in the tower."

"No it won't!" he refuted. "You're killing me!"

She lightly placed a hand on his chest and he startled. "It can't actually kill you, Aaron," she told him seriously.

"But you. . . said you wouldn't. . . hurt me," he pleaded in a weak voice.

"You don't actually hurt, do you?" she asked with concern.

He shook his head. "They feel like. . . they are going. . . to explode."

"Awww. Here, let me help them," she told him and then moved down the bed.

"No!" he half screamed and shifted away from her as far as he could.

"Well, which is it? First you were begging me to touch you, and now you're begging me not to."

He swallowed hard. "I don't know!"

She giggled and gently caressed his balls in her hand. He almost purred with the contact. She smiled sadly. "Awww, they're cold," she told him as she moved in between his legs. "Here, let me warm them up for you."

He bucked as she breathed hot air against them. He started trembling and whining. "Please, Babe!"

"It's almost time," she told him as she moved up the bed making sure to touch the insides of his thighs, but not his manhood.

She reached up and gently removed the hood, and even in the dim light he had to squint. He locked eyes with her and she studied his face.

"I knew. . . you were mean. . .but this. . ." he shook his head. His face was flushed and he had sweat beaded on his forehead that matched the sheen all over his body.

She smiled. "This will be worth it, you'll see."

He looked down at himself. "Jesus!"

She licked her bottom lip. "Yeah, I know. I've never seen you that big before."

"If you don't hurry. . . he's going to rupture."

She giggled, and he collapsed into the bed. "That's not possible either, well, not without help," she added softly but he didn't hear her.

"I'll do anything. . ."

"What?"

"I promise. . . I'll do anything. . . just let me go."

"Nah, you'd just say that you made the promise under duress."

He panted. "Please!" he begged as he thrusted off the bed into the air and pulled his arms down.

"You can't break it, Aaron. It's paracord and it can stand up to 550 pounds, and I don't think your arms are that strong," she told him with a smile.

"Please, Kahlan!"

"Not yet. You still have eight minutes."

He whimpered.

"Unlike the terror you put me through, this will be awesome for you. . . in the end."

"How long?"

"A little over seven."

"No. How long have. . . I been like this?"

She giggled. "How long do you think it's been?"

"Forever!"

She laughed. "It's only been a little over an hour."

"What did you give me?"

"What?"

"You had to dose me. . . with something. There's no way. . . I could be like this. . . that long without help."

"What could I have possibly dosed you with?"

"I don't know,. . . Viagra?"

She choked on her own breath. "Damn, Aaron! I would never do something like that to you. That shit can hurt you if you don't need it."

He looked at her and she could tell he was still suspicious.

"Besides, that would only make you hard, not keep you in a constant state of beginning orgasm."

His face scrunched up as his whole body tensed. "Just make it stop!" he demanded.

"What? You thought that if you tried to get your mind off of it that it would stop?"

"Please!"

She giggled as she looked at her watch. "Not yet."

He closed his eyes. _You wait! You wait until I get you tied up! I will tease you so bad! You won't even know what day it is by the time I'm done with you!_

"What are you thinking about, Aaron?"

"That I am. . . going to die," he lied.

"You'll die happy at least," she told him as she got off the bed.

His eyes snapped open and he watched her like a hawk.

"Need a drink?"

He licked his lips. "No! You know. . . what I need!"

She giggled and took a bottle off the top of the light that he hadn't noticed before.

"What's that?" he asked desperately.

"It's just oil, Hun. Calm down."

"How can I calm down. . . when every fiber of my being. . . is on fire and screaming?"

She poured a little in her hand and then rubbed some on his chest, "See? I had it on the light to warm it up."

His whole body tensed and she knew he was trying to make himself release.

"That won't work, Hun. You won't be able to do it until I let you."

He sank back into the bed. "Taking you to that tower. . . made you hate me!"

She poured a stream of oil down his chest and abdomen. "No, but I didn't decide to do all this until then."

"How long can. . . I stay like this?"

"I don't know. I've never done this before," she told him as she massaged the oil all over his upper body.

"Oh God," he cried.

"What?"

"If you've never done it before,. . . then how do you know. . . you haven't damaged me permanently?"

"Because I know what I'm doing. I would never hurt you, Aaron."

He huffed.

"I would never take the chance with something as delicate as your manhood."

"I know. You like sex. . . even more than me." She giggled as she rubbed oil down his arms. He shook his head. "I don't understand."

"What?" she asked as she poured oil on his right leg.

"How can you do all this. . . when you aren't. . . getting anything out of it?" he asked her between clenched teeth.

"Oh, I'm enjoying this, too," she told him as she rubbed done his other leg.

"Please, Babe!"

"It's close," she assured him as she poured oil down his erect manhood.

"It's been close!" She giggled. "You know. . ." he started and then thrusted into the air again. "I'm going to explode as. . . soon as you touch me." He tried to force his body to relax. "And you still won't. . . get anything out of it."

"You won't explode," she told him gently as she rubbed oil all around his midsection but still not touching his manhood. "Until I let you."

He bit his lip. "I think. . . you are the most. . . evil person. . . I have ever met!"

She grinned. "I better be. I've worked hard at building my reputation."

He whimpered. "You don't really love me. . . You hate me. . . Admit it."

"You won't think that by the time I'm done with you," she told him as she stood up and took her robe off. He swallowed hard as he watched her take her bra off.

His whole body started to tremble. "Are you. . . going to untie me. . . for this?"

She giggled. "No," she told him simply as she climbed up on the bed beside him.

His breathing quickened in anticipation and he licked his lips as he locked eyes with her.

"Ready?"

"For what?"

She reached over and massaged his manhood to make sure the oil was evenly distributed.

He cried out, and she couldn't tell if it was in pleasure or in pain.

She straddled him. "You have to let me control this."

He laughed. "Like you're. . . not already?"

"I'm serious, Aaron. If you want me involved in this, you have to be still and let me control my descent."

He looked at her questioningly. He wasn't sure if his physical problem was allowing him to think straight because he couldn't figure out what she was talking about.

"Do you want to hurt me?"

"No!" he exclaimed as he shook his head quickly.

"Then stay still and give me time to adjust to him."

"Oh," he nodded.

"You ready?"

He moaned. "I've been ready . . . for over an hour!"

She giggled and then mounted him.

"Oh, God! Oh, God!" he kept repeating as she started to take him into her.

She pulled off and then then slowly took him in again as every muscle in him tensed. "Be still!" she told him as she reached about the halfway point. He nodded as he started to quiver. After a few more minutes to let herself adjust, she sank down on him completely and a long moan escaped him.

"I don't know. . . if it's the oil. . . or not, but. . . you're even hotter. . . than that first night here!"

She started riding him up and down. "A true sadist gets pleasure out of her work," she told him simply.

He grunted and groaned with every movement.

She leaned down and gave him a passionate kiss. "Ready for the release?" she asked him quietly.

"You can't. . . be ready yet."

She smiled. _Such an attentive lover, always wanting to make sure I'm pleased_. "I've been ready almost as long as you have, Aaron," she told him truthfully, and he finally realized she was quivering almost as much as he was.

"Then go!"

She reached around as she quickened her pace.

His head was thrown back as his back arched off the bed as a wave of pleasure bowled over him like a tsunami over an island. His mouth was open as he let out a silent scream.

"Breathe, Hun!" she demanded as she quickened her pace. When he shook his head she slapped him on the chest. "Breathe, Aaron!"

He took in a rush of air as he felt his fluids reaching the boiling point. His whole body tensed and as he rose up off the bed in complete and utter ecstasy as he figuratively exploded with a rush of fluids and sensual aftershocks.

When he collapsed to the bed, she went over the edge, too. After a few more thrusts, she collapsed onto him as she panted. Once she caught her breath, she looked up at him with a smile. "So? How was that?"

No answer.

"Aaron?" she asked quickly as she scrambled up the bed to look at him. "Aaron?" she called out again and then moved his head. She laughed lightly. "Really, Hun? You passed out?" She knew he was fine because his breathing and heart rate were fine, a little fast, but fine.

She smiled as she untied him and then grabbed a warm washcloth to clean him off. He moaned as she cleaned him and she sat down beside him as his eyes fluttered open. "Hey there. Nice of you to join me again."

He looked around questioningly. "What happened?" he asked desperately. Once he realized he wasn't tied up anymore, he reached out and pulled her closer to him.

She studied him. "Are you ok?"

He took a deep breath and licked his lips. "I think so." He shook his head and smiled at her. "That was. . ." he swallowed hard. "Wow!"

"So you're ok?"

"I'm still tingling."

She laughed. "So you're not mad?"

"Oh no. After all of that pleasure, I don't even think I'll be able to feel anger for a while."

She giggled. "Good. Now scoot over so I can snuggle up to you."

He smiled and looked at his watch. _Jesus!_ It was after four in the morning.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Kahlan awoke to find a smile still on her husband's face and she giggled to herself as she climbed out of bed and made her way to the restroom. When she got back to the bed, Hotch was just waking up. She sat beside him and leaned down to give him a kiss. "Morning, Hun."

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Morning, Babe," he told her as he looked at his watch. It was already after ten.

She turned to the nightstand and then back to him. She held a little box in her hand. "Happy Anniversary," she told him and gave it to him.

He scooted up into a sitting position and took the box with a grin. He leaned over to give her another kiss. "Happy Anniversary," he told her and then opened the box. "Oh wow," he started as he looked at what was in it. It was a metal keychain, and the bottom of it was a beautiful, blue sapphire imbedded in a medieval looking holder.

"It's almost as nice as the stones in the necklace that you gave me," she told him.

He balked. "It's as big as all of them combined."

She laughed. "Not it's not, but now you can carry that around and think of my eyes whenever you look at it."

He rubbed a thumb over it as he looked at it. "This is really nice. Thanks, Babe," he told her and then leaned over to give her another kiss.

She smiled as she pulled away. "Get up and get dressed. I'll order breakfast."

He sat the keychain down on the night stand as she stood up and then he swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Damn, Babe," he started as he looked at himself. There were clear ligature marks on his wrists and ankles.

"What?" she asked innocently. "That's not my fault. I didn't tie them that tight. That's from you pulling on them so much."

"But that's your fault," he told her with a grin and stood up. She laughed lightly and he moaned as he took a step.

"What?" she asked at the obvious pain on his face.

He took a deep breath. "Damn," he told her as he shook his head.

"What's wrong?" she asked him with concern.

He took another step. "I kind of hurt if you know what I mean."

"Aww. You're sore?"

"You think?"

"Here," she started and moved towards him. "Let me massage you."

"No!" he exclaimed as he protected himself with his hands and turned away from her. "Don't you touch them."

She giggled. "It will make you feel better," she tried.

"No! You'll be lucky if you're allowed to touch them before we have to go back home!"

She smiled. "I promise to be nice."

He took a step away from her. "No. You're definition of nice is far different from mine."

She giggled as she watched him make his way to the bathroom.

He emerged with his pajamas on and made his way to the bed. "It hurts to walk."

She gave him a sympathetic look. "They'll feel better as the day goes by."

"I think I'll stay in the room all day. I don't even want to consider the looks everyone will give me."

She laughed. "Why do you think I agreed to go horseback riding?" He looked at her questioningly. "If anyone asks, you can say you're saddle sore."

"Thanks, Babe. I love you, too."

She giggled and patted him on the thigh.

"You knew I was going to hurt today?" he asked as it finally dawned on him.

She looked at him innocently. "I wasn't sure."

He huffed. "Just wait until I get you tied up," he told her slyly.

"What?!" she asked as she stood up. "That wasn't part of the fantasy."

"It's only fair that I get a chance to reciprocate."

"No. You said if I went to the tower then I got to play out my fantasy, and we did that. We are even."

Hotch shook his head. "I don't think so."

She gave him a cocky look. "You're not fast enough to tie me up if I don't want you to."

He raised his brows. _Really? You're going to make this a challenge?_ "We'll see."

"No, we won't," she told him flatly and then went to answer the knock at the door.

_You just wait, Babe. You'll be begging me just as hard as I was begging you!_

XXX

Hotch decided to let Kahlan think he had dropped the idea of tying her up, and they enjoyed breakfast together and then joined the kids. They all decided to go sightseeing around the countryside.

Hotch readily agreed, deciding that sitting down in the car was much more preferable to anything else the kids had come up with.

They were driving through the windy mountain roads when Hotch saw something out of his window. "Stop the car!"

"What?" Kahlan asked as she took her foot off the gas.

"Stop the car!"

She applied the brakes and pulled over. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," is all he offered, smiled, and got out.

"What's Daddy doing?" Joey asked as they all watched him through the windows.

"I have no idea," Kahlan admitted.

"Do you want us to come?" Jack yelled to him out the window.

Hotch shook his head and disappeared around a gully.

Wyatt looked at Jack. "Maybe he had to. . . you know."

Jack laughed. "I can't imagine Dad ever doing that!" Jack insisted.

"What?" Joey asked.

"Nothing," Kahlan quickly told her and then shot the boys a look.

Wyatt giggled.

After about five minutes, Hotch finally came back into view. One of his hands was on inside of his coat as he made his way back to the SUV. He opened the door and got in. When he noticed all of them staring at him he smiled. "What?"

"What were you doing?" Kahlan asked him.

"I had to do something," he told her.

"Told you!" Wyatt exclaimed and then laughed.

Hotch looked at him questioningly for a second and then looked back to Kahlan. "I had to get you these," he told her with a smile and brought his hand out of his jacket. Clutched in his hand was a bundle of blue wildflowers.

"Aww. They're beautiful," Kahlan said softly as she took them. "Thank you," she told him and leaned over to give him a kiss.

"It's not a real anniversary without me giving you flowers," Hotch told her.

"I told you," Jack whispered to Wyatt.

Kahlan blushed. "I love you."

"I love you, more."

"No you don't," Kahlan argued.

"Yes, I do!"

"No!"

"Yes," he insisted.

"No," she demanded as she pulled back onto the road.

The kids looked at each other and shook their heads as their parents continued to argue.

XXX

After a few hours in the car, they went back to the castle for dinner. After dinner they played board games with the kids in the kids' common room until Joey was falling asleep in her chair.

Hotch smiled as he carried her to her bed. He laid her down gently, put the covers over her, and leaned down to kiss her on the head. "Love you, Angel," he told her softly.

She snuggled up with her stuffed raven. "Love you too, Daddy," she told him without opening her eyes.

He smiled and pulled on her bed a little to set it swinging.

They bid the boys goodnight and made their way to their room.

By the time Kahlan had emerged from the bathroom, Hotch was already in bed. He lifted the covers and she climbed in and snuggled up to him. "Ready for round two?"

His whole body tensed. "No," he told her quickly.

She giggled. "I was just kidding, Hun."

He reached over and shut off the light. "Sure you were, Babe, sure you were."

XXX

After breakfast, Joey talked her mom into teaching her how to shoot a bow and arrow, so they took the kids down to the archery range. Kahlan showed all of the kids how to do it, and Jack surprised them all by being really good at it.

Kahlan smiled as she watched him. _He's just like his father!_

Hotch was watching from the sidelines and laughed when Wyatt pulled back on his string and the bow broke in two. "Jeeze, Wyatt, stop trying to show off how strong you are," Hotch teased as Wyatt turned red in embarrassment.

Coll laughed. "It's alright, lad. I'll get you a bigger one."

Kahlan pulled Hotch up from the bench he was sitting on. "Come on. I want to see you do it," she told him with a grin.

"I've never done it," Hotch told her as he tried to pull away from her.

"So, you learn," she told him simply as she handed him a bow and an arrow. She quirked her mouth as she looked at him, though.

"What?" he asked.

"What hand would you shoot with?"

He chuckled. "I don't know. I guess I'll try it the same way I shoot a gun."

She huffed. "You mean ass backwards?" she asked him quietly and then giggled.

He gave her a look. "If you're done making fun of me, show me how to aim."

She giggled some more and then moved up beside him. "You sight down the arrow the same way you sight down a barrel. With as close as we are you don't have to worry about elevation or wind or anything," she told him as she moved him through the motions and then stepped away.

He pulled the string back and lined up the shot.

"Wait," she told him and he eased up on the string. "You need a brace on."

He shook his head. "No I don't," he told her and pulled back on the string. He lined up the shot and let the string go. "Son of a. . ." he started to yell and then stopped himself as the kids looked at him quickly. He held the inside of his left arm as his face contorted in pain.

Kahlan shook her head at him. "I told you."

"That's what those are for?"

She laughed. "Yes."

He looked at the kids. "They aren't wearing any."

"Their bows aren't quite as powerful as the one you just used."

He bit his lip and then looked at the target. There wasn't an arrow anywhere on it. "I missed it completely?"

She laughed again. "Yeah, there's probably a dead unsub the next hill over."

He balked and his head snapped to look past the target.

She laughed harder. "There's a hill to stop any errant shots, Hun," she told him as she went to the shed and got him a brace. She put it on his arm for him and patted him on the chest. "Try it now."

He huffed and went to the target. He lined up the shot, pulled back the string, lined up the shot again, and let loose. The arrow struck the target about three inches from the bullseye.

"That's awesome, Dad!" Jack yelled as he smiled.

Hotch shrugged. "Maybe that was beginner's luck."

"Then try it again to see?" Kahlan told him as she handed him another arrow.

He took it and shot again. That time the arrow was just a little bit closer to the center.

"Nice, Hun. You're a natural at this just like with a gun."

He smiled. "I guess aiming is aiming." He held out the bow to her. "You do it."

She laughed. "Nah, I'm good."

"Awww, come on, Mommy!" Joey pleaded.

"Yeah, Mom, show Dad how good you are," Wyatt told her with a smile.

Hotch looked at him. "You've seen her do it?"

Wyatt nodded. "And she's really good."

"I don't doubt it," Hotch told him and held the bow out to her again.

"I haven't done it since Wyatt was about five," she confessed.

"Come on, Mom," Jack tried.

She sighed and then took the bow and grabbed an arrow. She walked up to the shooting point and lined up a shot. The arrow struck in the outside circle.

"Awww," Wyatt whined.

Hotch grabbed another arrow and walked up to her. He handed her the arrow and leaned in close. "Now do it for real and stop trying to pacify the ego you know I don't have when it comes to you."

She ducked her head sheepishly and took the arrow. Her next shot hit dead center, and they all cheered.

Hotch looked at her. "I knew it. You should have gotten into a couple of those contests at the festival."

She shrugged.

"Can you do a shaft shot?" Coll asked her.

"Not with this type of arrow," she told him.

He smiled and went to the shed.

"You can do a shaft shot?" Jack asked with surprise.

"I used to be able to," she told him with a grin.

Coll brought back a handful of hunting arrows and handed them to Hotch. "These will do it."

Hotch nodded and handed one to Kahlan. "Are you sure you want me destroying your arrows?" she asked Coll.

"I've only seen one shaft shot in my whole life. I would love to see you do it," he told her honestly.

"It's been a long time," she offered.

"After that dead center shot, I don't think you'll have a problem," Coll told her with a grin.

She huffed and took the arrow Hotch had held out to her. She went to the spot, lined up the shot, and the broadhead tipped arrow shattered the target arrow as it took its place in the center of the bullseye. Everyone clapped and cheered.

Hotch quickly handed her another one. "Do it again."

She laughed and lined up another shot. The new arrow split the old arrow down the center, and everyone cheered again.

Coll shook his head as he grinned. "Da is good, but he has never been able to do that."

"Please don't tell him," Kahlan told him quickly.

He chuckled. "I won't give away your secret, but now it is obvious why the lads and lass are so good at everything they do with parents like you two."

Hotch grinned as he put his arm around Kahlan's shoulder. "Yep." He reached out for the bow. "Let me try again," Hotch told Kahlan as he grabbed a field arrow. Kahlan smiled and handed it to him. After about ten shots, he was hitting the bullseye consistently. "This is fun," he told Kahlan as he handed her the bow.

"What?" she asked as she took it.

"Can you hit the bullseye under distractions?"

"You mean like explosions, bullets flying, low light, from a moving position, or a moving target?" she asked slyly.

He snorted. "I'd take that as a yes."

She shrugged. "It comes in handy when one wants to be silent," she told him quietly.

He shook his head as he imagined her using a bow for all kinds of things. "Show me," he told her and handed her an arrow.

She took it as she looked at him questioningly. "They aren't many distractions out here, Hun."

He motioned for her to step up to the target.

She did and pulled back on the string.

He leaned in and whispered something in her ear. She half choked and the arrow went flying up into the trees. He shook his head. "I thought you said you could do it with distractions."

She swallowed hard. "That wasn't a distraction. That was mean!"

He laughed. "Try again."

She accepted the challenge and another arrow. As she pulled back on the string, Hotch leaned in again. As he whispered into her ear, he noticed her arms quivering under the strain of holding the string, but he didn't stop. She finally let the string go, and the arrow hit the target but way outside the farthest circle.

He laughed again.

"Fine! You do it," she told him and handed him the bow.

He took it and grabbed another arrow. He lined himself up and pulled the string back as she leaned in to whisper into his ear. After a few seconds, he released the string and the arrow hit dead center. He gave her a cocky grin.

"That's not fair. You've had sniper training."

"But you've been a sniper," he told her quietly.

"I never went through training," she defended herself. He was shocked at that and she shrugged. "Do it again," she told him as picked up two arrows and handed him one.

He took the arrow and lined the shot up. Kahlan made sure no one was watching and leaned in to his ear as she let the end of the arrow in her hand rub his manhood.

Hotch released the arrow and it went flying into the trees. He turned to her quickly. "That wasn't fair!"

"It was a distraction," she told him simply.

He shook his head at her and she giggled.

By the time they packed it in, Hotch had even accomplished one shaft shot, and the kids had improved, too.

XXX

After lunch, they all went and played in the moat; Dave and Cindi even joined them and there was a lot of roughhousing, games, and a general good time had by all.

After dinner, it wasn't long before they all decided to call it a night because of being wore out from the day's activities.

*Kahlan's anniversary gift is up on the site. Oh yeah, on the 'Character Photos' page – Emily and her family have been added, too.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Hotch watched Kahlan sleeping. _Swimming really took it out of you, huh?_ A scheming grin spread across his face and he slid out from under her. He got up as quietly as he could and then stood there and made sure he hadn't woken her up. Once he was sure, he pulled the ropes out from under the mattress where he had hid them. He had to fight back a chuckle as he lightly put a loop around one of her ankles. When she didn't react, he moved her other leg gently to get it closer to the bed post. He bit his lip and waited to see if see was going to wake up, but she didn't. He fastened the other end of the rope around the bed and left enough slack in it so that once she was positioned correctly, he could tighten it up.

Next, he gently moved her arm and slipped a loop around her wrist. As soon as he cinched it up on her and it pulled her arm into position, her eyes snapped opened. "What the hell?" she asked before she even realized what he was doing. He jumped on the bed and straddled her to hold her down. "Aaron!" she yelled as he tightened up the loose one on her leg.

"You thought I couldn't do it," he bragged as he tried to get her other arm.

She held her free arm tightly to her body as he pulled on it, and she gave him a look of defiance. "Don't! You'll hurt me!" she told him as she tried to wiggle out from under him.

He gave up trying to pull on her because she was right, and he didn't want to rip one of her muscles. He smiled deviously and leaned down and ran his scruffy chin down the side of her neck.

She giggled and squirmed. "Don't! That's not fair!"

He lifted her shirt and ran the side of his face against her stomach as she laughed even harder. "Relax your arm, Kahlan."

"No!" she cried out in between giggles.

He attacked her neck and throat again.

"Please, Hun!" she begged as she tried to get away from him but with one arm and her legs being already tied up, she couldn't get far enough away.

"Relax your arm," he told her as he rubbed his chin up beside her ear.

"Ok!" she yelled as she couldn't take it anymore.

He laughed as he positioned her arm and tied up her wrist. His face beamed in triumph.

"And now what are you going to do? I still have my clothes on," she told him with a cocky grin.

"Not for long," he told her as he ripped her shirt down the middle.

She flinched and he scooted down and took her shorts in his hands. "Aaron," she said softly.

"Just relax, Babe. I'm going to try to show you just as good as a time as you showed me," he told her and ripped her shorts.

"Aaron, stop," she cried out quietly, but he didn't hear her as he focused on the task of removing her clothes.

He felt her tense. "Relax, Babe," he told her as he removed her panties and threw them and her shorts onto the floor. When his focus went back to her, he realized her whole body was stiff. "Babe?" he asked as he looked at her. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she was breathing in rapid, shallow breaths. "Kahlan?" he asked desperately as he scooted up closer to her face.

As soon as his hand touched her, she flinched and a whimper escaped her as her eyes snapped open. The terror he saw on her face broke his heart. "Oh my God!" he exclaimed as he jumped up and went for the ropes. "I am so sorry! I am so sorry!" he exclaimed over and over again as he untied her. His hands were shaking as he fumbled with the ropes that had tightened, but he got her undone.

She didn't move, though, and he didn't think she even realized she was free. "Kahlan?" he asked quietly as he reached out for her, but his outstretched hand pulled back as it shook. He didn't touch her because he wasn't sure how she would react. "Kahlan!" he called out a little louder. She flinched again and when she realized she was untied, she sat up and folded in on herself. His heart broke a little more as he watched her hugging herself as she cried.

"Tell me what to do, Babe," he pleaded as he moved closer to her.

She shook her head.

He tried to swallow the massive lump that had formed in his throat, but it wouldn't go down. He looked around desperately and then grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her careful not to touch her. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked as tears fell down his cheeks.

She pulled the blanket around her tighter and shook her head.

"I am so sorry, Kahlan."

"It's not your fault," she told him weakly. "You didn't know," she told him through tears.

"What do you want me to do?"

She sucked in air and then looked at him. "Hold me until I feel safe again," she pleaded.

He went to her quickly, sat on the bed, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her to him. She buried her face into his chest and he held her tightly as she cried. He cried right along with her. _Oh my God, what have I done?_

After she calmed down some, he started stroking her hair and whispering to her; telling her he loved her, that she was safe, anything that he thought might help. Eventually, she fell asleep, so he maneuvered them and laid down with her, never letting her go.

As he laid there hating himself, he eventually drifted off to sleep, too.

XXX

When Hotch woke up the next morning, Kahlan wasn't in his arms. She was on the other side of the bed curled up in a ball. Another tear escaped him as he looked at her. _I am so sorry, Babe!_ He reached and gently laid a hand on her back. She flinched and he pulled it away quickly. _No! God, please!_

He wasn't sure if she was awake or not, so he got up and went to the other side of the bed to see. She looked to still be asleep, so he made his way to the restroom and got dressed. When he emerged, she had turned over to face the other way. "You awake?" he asked softly not wanting to wake her if she wasn't.

"Yeah," she said weakly.

"You need anything? Is there anything I can do?" he asked as he sat down on the bed.

She shook her head. "I just need a little time."

He bit his lip and tried to fight back the tears that wanted to win. "You want me to. . ."

"I need to be alone, Aaron, please."

One mutinous tear won the battle and fell down his cheek. "Ok, Kahlan." He stood up. "I'll be back to check on you later."

She nodded, but didn't say anything.

He took one more, long look at her and then left the room as he pulled out his phone.

He texted Rossi: 'Stables, now, please!'

XXX

Rossi walked into the tack room to find Hotch sitting on one of the saddle holders with his elbows on his knees and his face buried in his hands. "What the hell, Hotch?"

Hotch slowly brought his head up to look at him, and Rossi could tell he'd been crying.

"Oh, God, what happened?" he asked quickly as he went and put a supportive hand on Hotch's shoulder.

"God, Dave, I've ruined everything!" Hotch started and fresh tears filled his eyes as he stood up.

Rossi took a deep breath. "Sit down and tell me what happened."

Hotch nodded and wiped his face as he sat back down. He bit his lip and Rossi could tell Hotch wasn't comfortable with whatever he was about to say.

"I can't help if you don't tell me, Aaron."

Hotch nodded again and took a deep breath. He ran a hand through his hair and shrugged. "Ever since Kahlan and I have been together, we've had this little, private joke kind of thing, between us about her wanting to use rope in the bedroom," Hotch told him as he cringed and looked at Rossi expecting some sort of horrible reaction to their unconventional idea.

Rossi, of course, didn't give him one. "And apparently you all have finally done it?"

Hotch huffed and nodded weakly. "A couple nights ago."

"That can't be the problem now, though," Rossi told him.

Hotch shook his head. "No. That went fine."

Rossi silently waited for him to go on.

Hotch got up and started to pace as he took a long, deep breath. "She tied me up, and then the last night. . ." he sighed heavily. "Last night I tied her up," he had to stop as he choked on a sob.

"Oh no," Rossi said quietly as he started to understand. He got up and put a hand on Hotch's back. "Just tell me."

Hotch stepped away from him believing that he didn't deserve to be comforted. "The morning after she did it to me, I teased her and told her to just wait until it was her turn." He shook his head as his eyes watered again. "She told me no, that that wasn't part of the deal, but I pushed it."

"Turnabout's fair play," Rossi offered.

"And she told me that I'd never be able to tie her up if she didn't want me to," Hotch told him as he turned to him. "And I took that as a challenge!"

"You succeeded," Rossi led him.

Another sob escaped him. "Only because she fell asleep," he told him weakly.

"She woke up, though."

Hotch nodded, and Rossi could see the self-loathing on Hotch's face. "I was reveling in my apparent victory and not really paying attention. . ."

"Something happened."

Tears streamed down Hotch's face. "I don't know where she was, but she wasn't in that bed with me."

"Oh, God."

Hotch nodded. "You should have seen the terror in her eyes."

"What did you do?" Rossi asked.

"I untied her as fast as I could, apologizing the whole time," he told him and then ran a hand down his face.

"And what did she do?" he asked softly.

"As soon as she realized she wasn't tied up anymore, she sat up and folded in on herself trying to be as small as possible." Hotch sniffed and wiped his face. "I didn't know what to do, but I put the blanket around her. She was crying, Dave!" Hotch blurted out and started crying again.

Rossi put his hand on Hotch's shoulder again. "And then what?" he asked knowing there was more to the story.

"I asked her what she wanted me to do. I asked her if she wanted me to leave. . ." He took a ragged breath. "And I apologized again!" He shook his head. "She told me it wasn't my fault because I didn't know, but. . ."

"But you still feel responsible."

Hotch nodded quickly. "Then she told me to hold her until she felt safe again," he told him as he started to shake a little.

"That's good, though, isn't it?"

Hotch shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. I held her until she cried herself to sleep and then I held her some more."

"And you fell asleep." Hotch nodded. "What happened this morning?"

"She won't even get out of bed." His hands were balled into fists and Rossi could tell he wanted to hit something out of frustration, but he also knew Hotch was frustrated with himself. "God, Dave. I've ruined everything!"

Rossi grabbed him by the shoulders. "No you haven't! You can get through this!"

"How can we get through this?" Hotch asked and then pulled away from him roughly. "This vacation had been so close to perfect! It has been literally the best time of my life!" He took another ragged breath. "We've had so much fun. The kids. . . you and Cindi. . . but now every time she thinks about it she's going to remember me doing that to her!"

"Aaron, just stop! You didn't know!"

"But I should have!"

"How? How could you have possibly known?"

Hotch crumpled in on himself and Rossi pushed him to the seat. "I should have known in Indiana."

Rossi sat down across from him and studied his face. "But she said she. . ."

Hotch shook his head quickly. "While I was holding her last night, every moment we have spent together played in my mind." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "In Indiana, that night in the hotel when she watched that video, that's when I should have known!"

"But she said she wasn't raped."

"It was what she said." He shook his head roughly. Rossi looked at him questioningly. Hotch choked back another sob. "She said: 'with everything that happened, they didn't rape me.'"

Rossi closed his eyes as cold realization ran over him.

"'They didn't rape me', implying that they didn't but someone else had," Hotch explained as he hit his thigh roughly and stood up. "She didn't say 'I've never been raped.' Why didn't I catch that?"

"Aaron. . ." Rossi started as he stood up.

"That's my job, damn it! I catch shit like that all the time from unsubs and victims, but I couldn't even figure it out for my own wife?!" Hotch slammed a fist into the wall. "It was probably one of the most important things she has said, and I missed it!"

"You were probably so elated at the time that it didn't register," Rossi offered. "We didn't pick up on it either."

Hotch shook his head as he bit his lip. "I should have known by the way she was acting and the things she said here these last couple days, too," he told him weakly and sat down again.

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't see it at the time, but when I mentioned tying her up, there was a flicker of something in her eyes. I realize now that was fear, but I was so bent on getting my revenge. . ."

"Aaron. . ."

"And she kept telling me 'no', but I wouldn't listen. I should have known! I should have seen that she was adamantly against it! I should have known there was a reason behind the way she was acting! I shouldn't have put myself and my want for revenge first!"

Rossi grabbed his face in his hands. "There's no turning back, so it doesn't matter what you may or may not have seen or figured out. That doesn't matter now. What matters now, is what you can do to fix this."

"How can I possibly fix this? She is never going to trust me again!" Hotch exclaimed as his eyes filled with fresh tears.

"She wouldn't have let you hold her if she didn't trust you, Aaron," Rossi told him as his thumbs wiped tears away.

Hotch's eyes darted around as he considered it. "But now what do I do?"

Rossi stood up and ran a hand over his goatee as he considered it. "You need to get her out of that bed. You need to get her mind on something else."

Hotch rubbed the back of his neck as he considered his words.

"And then when you think she is ready, you need to get her to talk about it."

Hotch huffed. "We've been together over six years, and she hasn't talked to me about it. Why would she talk to me about it now?"

"Because now you know," Rossi told him matter-of-factly.

Hotch nodded weakly.

"But get her mind off of it. Don't let her wallow in those memories; we both know how dangerous that can be," Rossi told him seriously.

Hotch took a deep breath. "I'm not sure I'll be able to, but I'll try."

"Hell, get the kids involved if you have to. I'm sure Joey could get her to do something if anything." Hotch looked at him questioningly clearly not liking getting the kids involved. "Even if she won't do something with you, she needs to do something to get her mind off of it."

Hotch nodded again a little more strongly. "Alright."

"Is there anything special she still wants to do?"

Hotch shrugged. "Other than come to this castle, everything else has been spur of the moment. She's been more worried about me and the kids being happy that she has herself."

"I'll talk to Cindi. . ."

The look of horror on Hotch's face made Rossi clarify quickly.

"Not about that! Maybe she knows something that Kahlan would like to do, maybe she's wanted to do something since she was little or something."

"Ok."

Rossi put his hand on Hotch's shoulder again. "Get yourself together and then get back in there and get her out of that bed." Hotch wiped his face and nodded. "You will get through this."

Hotch's look told him he wasn't so sure.

"You two have been through so much, and you have come out even stronger. This will be no different," Rossi told him seriously.

"God, I hope so."

"I'll go in and keep the kids occupied until I hear from you, but if you can't do it, they'll be able to."

Hotch took a deep breath. "Thanks, Dave. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Rossi smiled and pulled him into a hug. _That's what fathers are for, Aaron._


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Hotch made his way to the bedroom slowly trying to figure out what to say and do to get Kahlan up and out of bed. If she was lying there reliving whatever had happened to her, she might get buried under the horrible memories.

He went into the bedroom and was surprised to find the bed empty. He looked and saw the bathroom door closed. His heart skipped a beat as his imagination ran away with him. He went to the bathroom quickly and lifted the latch; he thanked God it wasn't locked. "Kahlan?" he called out to announce himself.

She was in the shower, standing under one stream of water with one hand on the wall.

Her head was bent low, and Hotch didn't think she had heard him. He walked in and shut the door behind him. "Babe?"

She flinched and turned to him quickly.

His heart broke even more when he realized she was crying again.

She swallowed hard and gave him a weak smile. "I'll be done in a minute."

He took a ragged breath. "Ok," he told her and went back into the bedroom.

_Why God? Why her?_ He shook his head roughly. _I swear, Hotchner, you are the biggest son of a bitch in the world!_ He ran a hand down his face. _The last thing I ever wanted to do is cause you pain, Babe._ He took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose as he sat down roughly on the bed. _No matter how hard I try, I can't keep from turning into my father!_ He stood up as he felt his anger rising. He paced as he ground his teeth. _What are you going to do next, Hotchner, hit one of your kids?_ He slammed his fist into the wardrobe that housed his clothes. The old wood screamed as a massive crack formed down the center of the door. His eyes got big as soon as he realized what he had done. _Oh my God!_

"Aaron?" Kahlan asked as she emerged from the restroom. His head snapped to her and she could see embarrassment and anger on his face. She went to him quickly and grabbed his hand; it was red and swollen.

He pulled away from her and took a step back. "I think Wyatt wants to show you some of the stuff Coll has taught him," he told her as he made his way to the door.

"Aaron?" she asked weakly.

He froze with his hand on the latch, but he didn't turn back to her.

"Hun?"

"I am so sorry, Kahlan," he told her weakly and then went out the door.

She sighed heavily as the door shut behind him. _No, Hun, I am the one who's sorry._ She wiped a tear away. _Oh my God, what have I done? He can't even stand to look at me!_

XXX

After Kahlan got dressed, she made her way down into the castle. She found the kids with her mother and Dave, but Aaron wasn't anywhere to be seen. Joey ran up to her and hugged her legs. "It's about time you get up," Joey told her as she smiled up at her.

Kahlan reached down and picked her up. "Well, if you guys wouldn't have worn me out in the moat, I wouldn't have had to sleep so long."

Joey giggled. "I slept in, too."

Kahlan smiled as she sat down on the couch in the big family room. Her eyes met Dave's and she knew he knew. _Of course Aaron told you._ He gave her a small smile, and she returned it. She looked at Wyatt. "So are you going to show me some of those awesome knight skills you've been learning?"

Wyatt beamed. "Sure, but Jack has to show you what he can do out in the courtyard first."

She looked at Jack questioningly. Jack shrugged but smiled.

She sat Joey down. "Then let's go," she told them and stood up.

Joey grabbed her hand and pulled her to the door with everyone else following.

XXX

After watching Jack go through the whole courtyard doing parkore tricks, they made their way toward the stables.

Kahlan put her hand on Rossi's arm to slow him up so they were at the back of the group.

Rossi licked his lips, but he didn't look at her not knowing what she wanted.

"Where is Aaron?" she asked him quietly.

"I don't know. He came down stairs and then disappeared. What happened?" he asked her as he searched her face.

She wiped her face quickly when Joey looked back at them and smiled. Once Joey had looked away, Kahlan swallowed hard. "He hates me."

Dave stopped in his tracks and gave her a shocked look.

She shook her head quickly and kept walking.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. "We'll catch up in a minute," he called to the rest of the group.

Cindi looked back at them questioningly; she could tell something was going on. "Ok," she told Dave with a small smile, and she put her arms around the boys' shoulders and steered them farther away.

Once the kids had disappeared around the corner, he turned to Kahlan and put his hands on the sides of her face and made her look at him. "He would never think that! Why would you think he does?"

A tear escaped her as she searched his face. "Because he can't even look at me."

Dave took a deep breath. "If he can't look you in the eyes, it is because of the guilt that is overflowing in him, Kiddo," he told her tenderly as he wiped her tear away with a thumb.

She pulled out of his grasp. "He's mad at me."

"No he's not!

"He basically smashed the wardrobe in the room. You should have seen his hand."

"If he's mad at anyone, he's mad at himself." Dave could imagine how his hand looked because he had already hit the wall in the stable. "Did you all talk?"

"No. He won't even look at me, how am I supposed to talk to him?"

Dave sighed deeply. "Will you talk to him?"

Kahlan choked back a sob. "God, Dave. I didn't mean for that to happen. I didn't. . ."

He pulled her into a hug. "I know, Kiddo, I know," he told her as he rubbed circles on her back. "He hates himself right now because he believes he is the reason you are hurting."

She pulled back enough to look him in the face. "I told him it wasn't his fault. He didn't know."

"I know that and you know that, but you know him; you know he is blaming himself."

Another tear escaped her eye as she shook her head. "I never wanted to hurt him."

He pulled her back to him. "Of course you didn't, and he never wanted to hurt you."

She pulled away from him completely and wiped her face. "I should go find him."

He shook his head. "No. Let him have some time to process this, and then I will find him."

She finally smiled and pulled him into a hug. "Thanks, Dave. I don't know what we'd do without you."

He smiled as he squeezed her. "Someone has to keep you two in line."

She chuckled and then they went in search of the kids.

XXX

After not seeing Hotch all day, Dave had found him sitting on a fallen tree in a clearing in the woods outside the castle walls and tried to talk some sense into him. "She doesn't blame you, Aaron."

He huffed. "Maybe she needs to."

Dave shook his head. "You two really are made for each other! You're so damn alike in so many ways it's pathetic!"

Hotch startled at Rossi's anger, but he didn't look at him. "Every time I turn around, I'm becoming more and more like him," Hotch's words were weak and fragile, but they pissed Dave off even more.

He walked up to Hotch and grabbed his chin roughly to make him look at him, but Hotch's eyes were closed. "Look at me, Aaron!"

Hotch swallowed hard and opened his eyes slowly.

Dave shook his head. "If you don't stop comparing yourself to that bastard, I'm going to show you real anger! You made a mistake and now you are feeling guilty! Do you think your father ever felt guilty?!"

Hotch eyes darted around as he considered it.

"No! He wasn't capable of feeling guilt any more than he was capable of actually feeling love!" Rossi took a deep breath to calm himself down and then put both hands on Hotch's face lovingly. "You are nothing like him, Aaron."

A tear escaped Hotch's eye. "Then why do I keep hurting the people I love?"

Rossi pulled him up and into a tight hug. "You didn't mean to." He squeezed him tighter trying to make Hotch feel some of the love he had for him. When he finally released him, he looked him in the eyes again. "If you had done it on purpose, then you could have compared yourself to your father. Since you did it on accident, the only thing you can chalk that up to is being a man, and men make mistakes."

Hotch nodded weakly.

"How you handle that mistake, what you learn from it, and how you try to correct it; that will show you what kind of a man you really are."

Hotch took a shaky breath. "I'd do anything to make her feel better!"

Rossi gave him a small smile. "And that makes you a thousand times better man than your father ever was," he told him seriously.

The side of Hotch's mouth quirked into a little smile as the truth of Rossi's statement sunk in. He nodded more strongly, stood up straighter, and squared his shoulders. "I need to go talk to her."

Rossi smiled. _That's my boy!_ "They were in eating dinner when I left."

Hotch took a step towards the castle and then turned back to Rossi. "Dave. . ."

Hotch's look told him far more than words ever could, and Rossi nodded. "Go!"

Hotch smiled and left.

XXX

When Hotch got into the dining room, Kahlan wasn't there and he looked at the kids questioningly.

"She went to bed early," Jack told him knowing he was wondering about their mother.

"I don't think Mommy feels good," Joey told him.

"Yeah. She seemed a little off all day," Wyatt agreed.

Hotch swallowed hard. "I'll go see if there is anything I can do," he told them with a forced smile.

Their looks wished him luck and he slowly made his way to their room praying to God the whole time and asking for help in fixing his mess. He shut the door behind him and found her on the couch in front of the fireplace wrapped up in a throw blanket. His heart hurt when he saw her quickly wipe her face. He walked up to her and sat down on the far end of the couch and looked at her. "Babe?"

She gave him a small smile. "I'm sorry."

"What?!" he asked flabbergasted. "What do you have to be sorry for?"

"For ruining our vacation," she told him weakly as another tear escaped her eye.

He sighed heavily. "If anyone has ruined anything, it's me. I am so sorry. . ."

"Stop apologizing, Aaron!" she told him roughly. "It is not your fault!"

He slid closer to her. "Yes it is! I should have listened to you. You said you didn't want to do it, but I pushed it. If I had listened. . ."

"If I had told you, you wouldn't have done it. I know you would never hurt me on purpose, Hun," she told him as she took his hand in hers. She looked down at them and relaxed a little when she realized his hand was just a little bruised around his knuckles. She swallowed hard and then looked at him again.

He studied her face as a tear fell down his cheek. "You can tell me about it now."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "It's not because I didn't want to tell you, Aaron." She looked at him. "I just haven't thought about it in so long. . ."

His chest tightened. "And what I did made you remember."

She shrugged. "I thought I had locked it up tight and buried it so far down that it would never bother me again." A tear trickled down her cheek. "But it hit me like a ton of bricks and. . . And I was. . ."

"You were there," he offered quietly.

She nodded. "I wasn't expecting it. I thought I could handle it. I thought I could let you have your fun and. . ."

He shook his head and turned away from her. "I'm sorry I didn't realize it. I should have known long before that."

She pulled his face back towards her and she studied him. "What?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry that I didn't catch it, but that doesn't matter. What matters is what I need to do to help you through this."

She let him go as she tried to figure what had given it away. "You want me to tell you about it?"

He bit his lip as he looked her in the eyes. "Maybe if you let me share in the load, it won't be such a heavy burden."

She swallowed hard and shook her head. "You don't want to hear that."

"No. No, I don't _want_ to hear it, but you _need_ to tell it; and I'll listen," he told her seriously.

She took a deep breath as she fidgeted with the fringe on the blanket.

He slid closer and grabbed her hand. "It's on the surface now, Kahlan. You need to talk about it. If you won't talk to me, then you should at least talk to whoever helped you through it before."

She huffed as another tear escaped.

"Oh, Babe," he started and closed the last couple inches that were separating them. "You never told anyone?"

She shook her head. "I couldn't," she told him weakly.

"No wonder it finally came back so strong." He reached up and gently took her chin and made her look at him. "It will never get easier if you don't talk about it."

She chewed on her bottom lip as she studied his eyes. She finally nodded and he let her go. "It was a long time ago."

"In a galaxy far, far away?" he joked to try to ease some of her tension.

She laughed as more tears fell down her cheeks. "God, I love you," she told him tenderly.

"I love you, too, Babe, and I want to help you with this," he told her seriously.

She took a deep breath and wiped her face. "We were in Columbia. We were supposed to watch a suspected drug lord and all we had to do was get some evidence that he truly was what they thought he was and then we were supposed to neutralize him," she said and cringed because she knew that would bother him, but he was silent and let her go on. "So we watched him, and the crops, and the factories, but we couldn't connect him to them right off the bat." She took another deep breath. "One of his workers finally came to us and said that the reason none of the other locals would speak out against him was because he had their children. He had kidnapped at least one child from every family and that was how he got them to work and keep their mouths shut. Her son had escaped him, and when he made it back home, she knew he had been both physically and sexually abused. That's why she came to us."

Hotch could hear the anger seeping into her voice and he could imagine what the news had done to her.

"So I decided to go and see if I could find the children. That in itself would have been enough evidence to prove his guilt."

"And you did," Hotch offered as he studied her.

She nodded. "And I tried to rescue them, but. . ."

"You were caught."

Her face scrunched up with the memory and his heart ached. "He had a knife to teenaged girl's throat. . ."

"And you gave up to save her."

"As soon as I did, everything went black." She took a raged breath. "When I woke up, I was. . ." she shook her head. "I was. . ."

"You were tied up," he offered quietly and started hating himself even more.

She nodded as she closed her eyes and turned away from him. "He beat me, and ripped my clothes off of me, and raped me repeatedly and. . ." she started and then sobbed at the memories.

He put his arm around her and held her to try and keep the visions at bay. He knew then that it wasn't just tying her up that had brought back the horrible memories, it was the combinations of that and him ripping her clothes off her that made her remember the bastard. _God, I am so sorry, Babe!_

She pulled away from him. "I don't know how long he had me. I lost track after three days."

_Jesus Christ!_ Hotch took a shaky breath. "And you were rescued?'

She sobbed. "No."

"Then how?"

"When he got tired of me, he cut me loose and left me."

"Chuck and Cam didn't find you?"

She shook her head. "It was before Cam joined the squad, but the squad didn't know where I was. I hadn't told them what I was going to do. I was cocky. I thought I could do it all on my own."

"He just let you go?"

She snorted. "He didn't know who or what I was. I'm not sure what he thought I was, but he told me to tell everyone that the same would happen to the next person who tried to do anything against him."

Hotch closed his eyes and tried to shut out the images. "You got out of there."

She nodded as she wiped her face. "When I could walk again, I found some clothes and made it back to them. They could tell I had been beaten, but I never told them everything. I was so embarrassed. . ."

His head snapped up. "That's nothing to be embarrassed about!"

"I blamed myself. If I hadn't had gone off on my own, if I hadn't had tried to rescue those kids, if I had tried to fight back a little harder. . ."

"That was not your fault, Kahlan! You didn't ask for that to happen!"

"I know that now, but at the time. . ."

"What happened?"

"I took a couple days to heal, and then I hunted the son of a bitch down," she told him quietly.

Hotch didn't need to ask, it was obvious that she had taken her revenge, and he didn't blame her. Everything in him wanted to find the asshole and resurrected him just so he could get his revenge, too. He took a deep breath to try to quell his anger. "How did you get past it?"

She shrugged. "I learned from my mistakes and I buried it. It took a couple months for me to not have nightmares anymore, but eventually I stopped thinking about it. Keeping busy hunting down bad guys helped, I guess." She took another deep breath and locked eyes with him. "I never wanted something like this to come between us."

He grabbed her hands and squeezed them affectionately. "This hasn't come between us, Kahlan. It's another thing we have shared. While it's horrible compared to the other stuff I have learned about you, it is still your past." He locked eyes with her. "Thank you for trusting me enough with it."

Her eyes filled up with tears again. "It doesn't change the way you feel about me?"

"Babe!" he pulled her into a tight hug. "I've told you before; nothing could ever make me love you less." He pulled away from her and looked her in the face. "In fact, I love you more and more every day! The good and the bad, I love it all," he told her seriously.

She sobbed and pulled him to her. "I don't deserve a man like you, but I am so glad you are mine!"

He smiled as a tear fell down his cheek. "I'm the lucky one."

After a few moments, she pulled away and looked him in the eyes. "That was the only time I was ever assaulted like that, Aaron. Don't let your imagination run away with you about my past."

"Ok"

"I mean it. I swear to you, that was the only time, and I don't want your pity."

"Babe. . ."

"And I don't want to walk around on eggshells around me or be afraid to touch me."

"Kahlan. . ."

"I mean it, Aaron. It will make getting over it ten times worse."

"You want to act like it never happened?"

She shrugged.

He smiled. "So, I guess that's a 'no' to tying you up again?" he joked. The look on her face made him laugh.

She shook her head at him as she smiled. "If anyone would ever be able to get me to do that, it would be you."

He balked. "I was joking, Babe. I will never, ever, try to get you to do something that say no to."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Aaron. If that wouldn't have happened in my past, everything would have been fine."

He stood up and put a hand out to her. "I don't know about you, but I'm. . ." He almost said 'beat', and he cringed mentally and corrected himself. "Really tired. You ready for bed?"

She accepted his hand with a smile. "Are you going to let me snuggle up to you?"

He smiled. "Even tighter than normal if you want."


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Hotch gently shook Kahlan's shoulder as he tried to wake her up. "Kahlan," he called softly. "Wake up, Babe."

She opened her eyes slowly, but as soon as they focused she sat up quickly. "What's wrong?'

"Nothing," he told her quickly. "Calm down."

She took a deep breath and looked at her watch; it was a little after two in the morning. "Then why are you waking me up?"

"Come on, get up. There's something I want to do," he told her as he pulled on her gently.

"Do?" she asked him questioningly. "Now?"

"Yes," he told her as she sat up. He handed her a pile of clothes. "Get dressed."

She eyed the clothes warily. "We're going outside?"

He smiled. "Yep."

She ran a hand through her hair, but her curiosity was peaked. She got up and got dressed, and he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room quietly and led her outside. She sucked in her breath as she saw two horses saddled up and ready to go. "What are you up to?"

He smiled as he led her up to them. "A little birdy told me that you've always wanted to go riding at night, and Coll assured me they could see with the full moon."

She shook her head.

"What?" he asked as he started to droop.

"You're crazy."

His smile returned. "Crazy for you," he told her and offered his hand to help her mount the nearest horse.

She giggled and let him help her up. He mounted the other horse and led them out of the courtyard.

They rode side by side silently enjoying each other's company. She took a deep breath and the cold night air felt good in her lungs and on her face. Hotch kept stealing glances at her and his smile never left him because he knew she was enjoying herself. _Anything to get you away from those memories!_

Once they were past the castle wall, she smiled deviously at him. "Race you to the loch?"

"What?!" Hotch asked quickly as he eyed the road before them. "I figured we take it slow and enjoy this."

"Chicken!"

"Kahlan. . ." he started and then kicked his horse in the flanks. It took off and he was a good twenty feet in front of her before she could react.

"Cheater!" she yelled as she kicked her horse.

They made it to the meadow by the loch neck and neck. He laughed as he pulled his horse to a slow walk.

She matched his pace and shook her head at him. "I would have never have thought Aaron Hotchner would cheat."

He huffed. "You have the faster horse."

She laughed and then reached over and took his hand as they made their way closer to the shore. The moon was reflected in the water and there was a mist hanging in the cold air. "It's beautiful!"

He looked around and sighed. "Yeah." He turned to her and smiled. "And you make it even more beautiful!"

She smiled as she shook her head.

He pulled the reigns and moved them in another direction. "Come on."

She looked at him questioningly but followed wordlessly.

They rode into the forest on the main trail, but Hotch eventually took a small trail off to the right.

"This better not lead to some haunted graveyard or something, Aaron!" Kahlan yelled from behind him.

He laughed as he turned in the saddle to look at her. "It doesn't," he assured her.

"Where are we going, then?"

He shook his head as he ducked under a low branch. "You'll see," is all he offered.

"Aaron!?"

He chuckled but didn't say anything else.

She took a deep breath and kept a wary eye on the trees around her.

He kept turning around to keep an eye on her and finally pulled his horse to a stop. She came up beside him. He shook his head. "Do you want to go first?"

She looked down the trail and then back at him.

He reached over and took her hand. "I'm not trying to scare you, Babe," he told her tenderly.

She could tell he was being genuine. "Then where are we going?"

He smiled. "Someplace special."

"Then lead the way," she told him as she returned the smile and gestured down the trail with her hand. The trail was narrowing, and she knew they couldn't stay side by side.

"It's not much further," he told her and then urged his horse in front.

After about twenty minutes, Hotch urged his horse down an even smaller trail to the left. The closeness of the trees made the trail dark, but the horses plodded along faithfully.

When Kahlan was about ready to again ask where they were going, the trail widened into a clearing and Hotch pulled his horse to stop. Kahlan went up beside him and stopped as she looked around the clearing. "What's this," she asked him quietly.

He reached over, took her hand, and then urged his horse forward; hers matched its pace. "Well, according to Angus, legend has it a powerful wizard's castle used to stand here," he told her as he watched her.

She looked around and noticed a few chunks of ruined stone walls covered by vines. She smiled.

"You don't get any bad feelings about this place do you?" he asked her quickly.

She took a deep breath and shook her head. "No."

He released the breath he had held and smiled at her. "Good because he was supposed to be a good guy." He pulled the horses to a stop and dismounted. He stepped over to her and held out a hand to help her. "Legend goes that Wizard MacGonal is actually the basis for Merlin."

Her eyes grew wide as he led her to the ruins still holding her hand. "Merlin?"

He shrugged. "That's what Angus says." He led her past the castle wall and into the courtyard. She looked around slowly as he led her further into what used to be the keep. "Rumor has it that Rowling used this legend as a basis for some of her characters," he told her quietly as he stepped over what was probably an interior wall and then held out his hand to help her over it. Her eyes were wide as she smiled.

He pulled her to stop before an old wooden floor and turned to her. "Dance with me."

She looked at him questioningly. "Dance? There isn't any music." He smiled and pulled her iPod out of his pocket.

She laughed as she shook her head. "I told you that you were crazy, right?"

He brought up the song he wanted and walked over and sat the iPod on a piece of wall. "I want to play you this song and I want you to really listen to it," he told her as he looked at her over his shoulder. She looked at him warily and he touched the play button and pulled her to him as George Bensen's 'Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You' started.

He held her tightly to him as he moved them around the floor.

Her head laid on his chest as she listened to the words of a slow song she had never heard.

If I had to live my life without you near me  
The days would all be empty  
The nights would seem so long  
With you I see forever, oh so clearly  
I might have been in love before  
But it never felt this strong  
Our dreams are young and we both know,  
they'll take us were we want to go  
Hold me now, touch me now  
I don't want to live without you

Tears fell unhindered down her cheeks, and when the chorus started, he softly sang along in her ear.

Nothing's gonna change my love for you  
You ought to know by now how much I love you  
One thing you can be sure of  
I'll never ask for more than your love  
Nothing's gonna change my love for you  
You ought to know by now how much I love you  
The world may change my whole life through  
But nothing's gonna change my love for you

He felt her trembling slightly so he pulled her to him more tightly as the song continued.

If the road ahead is not so easy  
Our love will lead a way for us  
Like a guiding star  
I'll be there for you if you should need me  
You don't have to change a thing  
I love you just the way you are  
So come with me and share the view,  
I'll help you see forever too  
Hold me now, touch me now  
I don't want to live without you

She took a shaky breath and the chorus repeated several times before the song ended. Once it was done, she looked up at him.

"Do you understand?" he asked her tenderly as he wiped her tears away with gentle fingers.

She sniffled. "I think so."

He quirked his mouth and brows. "Although. . . I guess it isn't actually true."

She looked at him questioningly. "How is that?"

He smiled and took her face in his hands. "Because I actually love you more every day."

She shook her head. "Not any more than I love you."

He chuckled and grabbed her iPod, stuck it back into his pocket and grabbed her hand. "Come on, I want to show you one more thing." He led her out of the keep to a hill behind the ruins.

She sucked in her breath as she saw what they were approaching. He let go of her hand and put his arm around her shoulder as he stopped; about twenty feet in front of them was a well.

While everything around them had crumbled and succumbed to time, the well looked untouched. Not one vine grew up the stone walls, and with the way it was bathed in the light of the moon, it looked to be almost glowing. He started them forward again.

They stopped at the side and looked down at the shimmering water. "Supposedly, if you make a wish on the full moon, MacGonal will grant it if he deems you worthy enough," he told her and then pulled a coin out of his pocket. He flipped the coin and it sparkled as it caught the moonlight. When it landed in his hand again, he offered it to her.

She looked at the coin in his hand as she smiled.

He studied her and noticed her eyes were sparkling as much as the water below them. He motioned for her to take the coin.

Her eyes watered as she shook her head slowly.

His smiled faded as he studied her. "Babe?" he asked as he put his free hand up to the side of her face.

Her eyes traveled up from the coin in his still out stretched hand to his eyes as a tear slowly made its way down her cheek. "What would I possibly wish for when I already have everything I could ever want?"

His eyes watered. "Maybe for a husband who isn't such a complete idiot."

She sighed and reached up caressed his face. "You need to take your own advice from Charleston." He looked at her questioningly and she smiled. "No more guilt, no blame, just love."

He took a shaky breath as his eyes closed.

"Aaron?"

His eyes opened and he gave her a small smile. "Deal."

She pulled him into a hug. "I love you."

He wrapped his arms around her tightly. "I love you, too, Babe."


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

On the way back to the castle Kahlan grabbed Hotch's hand. "How did that song get on my iPod?"

Hotch gave her a wounded look. "I know how to run iTunes."

She was shocked. "You do?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, Joey taught me a couple months ago."

She laughed as she shook her head.

XXX

The next morning, Hotch awoke to an empty bed. He looked at his watch; it was already after ten. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and got up to search the other rooms of the suite. Not finding his wife was a good sign, or at least he thought it was. _It all depends on what she's doing and who she's doing it with. Hopefully she isn't by herself._

He got dressed and went in search of her. As he made his way down the hall towards the steps the statue of armor slid to the side and made him startle. Joey giggled as soon as she saw him and put a finger to her lips.

"What are you doing?" Hotch asked her in a whisper.

"We're playing hide and go seek," she told him deviously.

"Who is?" he asked as he pulled a cob web out of her hair.

"Me, the boys, and Mommy. Mommy's it," she told him as the statue went back into its original position.

"Do they know you are using the passageways?" Hotch didn't want to think about his little angel being in the passageways alone and getting lost or hurt. _Nah, she can probably find her way in them almost as well as her mother._

"They didn't say we couldn't," she told him with a smile.

"Do the boys even know about them?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

Both of their heads snapped towards the stairs as they heard Jack laughing hysterically. "Found you," Kahlan's voice drifted up from below.

"Has she found Wyatt?" Hotch asked his daughter as he turned back to her, but she was gone. He looked around quickly trying to figure out where she had gone, but he couldn't. He shook his head and headed for the stairs.

As soon as he got around the landing he saw Kahlan go into the library with a smile on her face. Her smile made him smile because he knew she was alright. _Thank you, God!_ He went to the library, but she was gone. _Jesus, how many passageways are in this damn place?_ He shook his head and turned to leave, and something tugged on the back of his shirt and made him startle and turn back around quickly.

Kahlan laughed as she but her arms around his neck. "Morning, Hun."

He shook his head at her. "Morning, Babe." He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. "Have you found Wyatt yet?"

"Yeah, I found him first," she told him as she studied him. "You've seen her, haven't you?"

He smiled. "How long have you been searching?"

She looked at her watch. "Over an hour."

He chuckled.

"What? This place is huge."

He chuckled again. "And that doesn't even include the places that you can't see."

She took a step back. "That little shit is using the passageways, isn't she?"

He laughed. "You'll be lucky to find her before bedtime."

"You want to help me?"

"No. I wouldn't want to get lost because then you would have to come find me, too."

She laughed and pushed him out of the library. "Then you better go get something to eat. You and Dave are supposed to go golfing soon."

He turned back to her and grabbed her hand. "I was thinking that I could spend the day with you instead."

She stopped and sighed heavily. "No you are not. You and Dave have been looking forward to that golf course since we got here. You are going golfing, Hun!"

"But I. . ."

"You are going, Aaron!" she insisted as she tried to push him towards the dining room.

"But we could. . ."

She gave him a look. "Don't, Aaron, please."

He studied her and sighed. "You sure?"

"Yes!" she demanded and then shoved him toward the dining room. "Now go eat. I have a conniving little sprite to find."

He laughed as he made his way down the hall. "If you haven't found her by the time we get back, we'll unleash the dogs."

She laughed and then headed up stairs.

XXX

Dave put a ball on the tee and looked down the fairway. "Kahlan seems to be doing well," he mused as he lined up his club.

"Yeah. I think she's going to be alright," Hotch told him from the side.

Dave swung the driver back and unleashed a hellacious blow that sent the ball towards the pin. He turned to Hotch with a grin. "I thought you ruined everything."

Hotch looked at him sheepishly and then moved and stuck a tee into the ground. "I was blaming myself and. . ."

"And she was blaming herself."

"Yeah," Hotch offered as he put his ball down.

"And neither of you were to blame," Rossi told him seriously.

Hotch nodded as he lined up his shot.

Rossi looked at the scorecard in his hand; Hotch was beating him by five points. He smiled as Hotch drew his club back. "You might want to pull your sleeves down, Aaron. Those ligature marks still haven't gone away."

Hotch's shot sliced into the trees and Hotch turned to him with a look of horror.

Rossi laughed. "I noticed that morning."

Hotch hung his head in shame as he pulled his jacket sleeves down a little more.

Rossi laughed some more. "I guess you have a couple under your socks, too." The red that filled Hotch's face gave him his answer and made him laugh even harder.

XXX

Joey met Hotch and Rossi at the castle gate. "It took Mommy three hours to find me!" she told Hotch as he picked her up. Both men laughed.

They made their way into the dining room and joined everyone for dinner.

"So, who won?" Cindi asked as Rossi sat down beside her.

Hotch beamed. "I did."

"But only by one," Rossi defended himself quickly. Everyone laughed.

In the middle of eating, Hotch reached with his left hand to get the salt from in front of Rossi, and Rossi choked back a chuckle. Hotch saw that the mark on his wrist was showing and he quickly pulled his hand back. "Could you pass me the salt please, Dave?"

"I'd love to," Rossi told him with a grin.

Hotch shook his head.

Kahlan noticed Hotch turn a little pink and she studied the two men. _What the hell is that about?_

XXX

After tucking in Joey, Hotch made his way down the hall towards his suite when Rossi came out of his. Hotch shook his head and tried to get to his door before Rossi to it, but he was too slow.

Rossi put his hand on Hotch's shoulder as he grinned. "You know, they sell things that don't leave the marks ropes do."

Hotch's look of shock made Rossi laugh. "Just saying," Rossi offered and went on down the hall.

Hotch shook his head as he watched him walk away. As soon as Rossi turned the corner to go down the steps, Hotch glanced at Rossi and Cindi's door. _No._ He shook his head some more. _There's no way._ He opened his door. _Is there?_

XXX

The next morning, everybody packed up to leave the castle. They said goodbye to their hosts, Joey included all of the animals in her goodbyes, and they loaded up to go to the closest airport.

Dave and Cindi kissed and hugged everyone goodbye because they were headed to Italy. Dave wanted to show Cindi around his homeland.

"You sure you guys will be alright?" Dave asked Hotch seriously as he led him away from the group.

"Yes. Go, have fun. We'll see you in London in five days," Hotch told him as he pulled him into a hug.

When Dave pulled away from him, he studied him. "Well, I'm just a quick flight away if you need me."

"I have a phone, too."

"As long as you're sure. . ." Rossi started.

Hotch shoved him toward the others. "You deserve a break from taking care of us."

Rossi stopped and turned to him. "But that's what a father does, Aaron," he told him tenderly.

Hotch smiled and pulled him back into another hug. "I know, and I love you for it," he told him quietly. When Hotch released him, Dave's eyes were moist. "Now go before you miss your flight."

Rossi smiled and they joined the rest of the family.

Hotch pulled Cindi into a hug. "Have fun, but if he takes you for a drive, make sure you wear your seatbelt."

Cindi laughed and kissed him on the cheek. "Take care of my baby and her babies."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Kahlan gave them one more hug and kiss, and they left. Hotch put his arm around her shoulder and they went to their gate with the kids. They flew to Dublin to spend the next three days exploring Ireland.

They spent the time relaxing and enjoying some of the more popular sights like Dublin Zoo, the Cliffs of Mohear, the Blarney Castle with its famous stone, The National Leprechaun Museum to learn about Irish Folklore and Mythology, the Glenveagh National Park to explore it's wonderful forests, and Tlachtga and Tara: two of the sites where Samhain festivals were held to learn about the true roots of Halloween.

To get back to England, they chose to take the ferry from Rosslare, Ireland to Fishgueard, Wales. They spent a couple days in Wales and explored the Dan yr Ogof, also known as the National Showcaves Center of Wales, and explored Wales' most famous castle, Caermarfon Castle.

They traveled out of Wales and went into southern England to see Stonehenge and then headed back to London to meet up with Dave and Cindi. They had an early flight out of Heathrow back to Dulles to get back home, so they wanted to spend the night close to the airport.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Emily, her husband Brent, and their son Michael met the Hotchner group at the airport to see them off. Emily pulled Hotch and Kahlan aside and thanked them for helping with the case, but they both put a stop to that quickly. After kisses and hugs and a promise from Emily to come see them that summer, the little family group boarded the plane to take them back home.

Before the plane had even left the terminal, Kahlan's phone vibrated. She took it out of her pocket and saw that it was a text from Clyde: 'Thanks for all of your hard work. We were able to take a lot of their contacts down, too.' She showed it to Hotch and he smiled.

'No problem,' she texted back.

After a few moments, Clyde texted her again. 'So, if I ever need any help again, are you and your husband available?'

She showed it to Hotch and he chuckled. She texted him back: 'No. No we are not.'

'I'll keep your number handy.'

She shook her head and put her phone away.

XXX

After dropping Dave and Cindi off, Hotch pulled into the driveway. He got out of the vehicle and stretched. "While that was an amazing trip. . ."

"It's good to be back home," Kahlan finished for him.

Hotch threw Wyatt the keys. "Go let the dogs out before they break down the door."

Wyatt laughed and ran to the door. Sampson leaped and had him on the ground within a split second, licking his face as it were covered in steak.

Goliath ran to the rest of the family and they could tell he was torn between Jack and Joey, so they both tackled him to the ground with stomach rubs and ear scratches.

Hotch and Kahlan laughed at their children and the dogs as they started to get the luggage out. Sampson ran over to Kahlan, but her hands were full; so he sat down and whined. Hotch laughed at him. "If you don't pet him, he is going to have a heart attack."

Kahlan smiled at the dog and put the suitcases down. "Come here boy." He jumped up and put his paws on her shoulders as she rubbed his face and neck. "Did you miss us?" He barked. "Did Donna treat you good?" He barked again. They all laughed.

XXX

The next morning, Kahlan awoke to an empty bed. She stretched and smiled and then made her way to the restroom. As soon as her foot hit the main floor, Joey ran to her and jumped into her arms. "Happy Birthday, Mommy!"

"Thanks, Pumpkin," Kahlan told her as she carried her into the kitchen.

Hotch and the boys were fixing breakfast. Joey pushed out of her arms to let the boys have their turns at wishing her happy birthday and then Hotch pulled her into a hug. "Happy Birthday, Babe," he told her and then gave her a quick kiss.

She smiled and looked past him at the stove. "Is that French toast?"

He laughed. "Yep."

Jack grabbed her hand and led her to the table as Wyatt grabbed her a cup of coffee.

"When is everyone supposed to be here?" Joey asked as she sat down next to her mother.

"At one. We have to do it early because of school and work tomorrow," Hotch told her as he brought in cups and orange juice.

"I can't wait to hear about everybody's vacations," Kahlan told him.

"I bet none of them was as great as ours," Wyatt told her with a grin.

Jack and Joey quickly agreed.

"I can't believe that you actually planned this before we even left," Hotch told Kahlan as he brought in the food and Jack brought the plates.

"Oh please. Do you think the girls would have been able to concentrate at work tomorrow without telling each other all about everything?"

Hotch laughed. "That's true."

As soon as they were done eating, the kids gave Kahlan their gifts and then Hotch pulled Kahlan to their room. "I want to give you your present," he told her as he opened the room darkening curtains at the window.

She squinted at the morning sun. "And I have to be blinded to see it?" she asked playfully.

He smiled and went to his closet. "Nope," is all he said as he disappeared into it. He came back out holding a box that was about two feet long and a foot high.

"What the hell, Hun?" she asked as he handed her the box because her hands went down a little as it weighed more than she thought it would.

"You'll never guess what it is," he told her with a cocky grin.

She smiled and moved the box to the bed, and he moved in beside her as she opened it. Her brows furrowed as she looked in the box. Sitting in packing paper was a giant oval thing. It was different shades of sparkling blue with gold veins running through it. "It's beautiful," she said softly as she ran a hand over it. "Is it glass?" It was smooth to the touch, but she couldn't figure out what it was made out of.

He chuckled at her look and then reached in and took it out. "I don't really know," he confessed and then held it out to her.

"What is it?" she asked as she took it.

"I told you I'd find you a dragon egg," he told her as his dimples shown with his smile.

Her brows rose as she smiled. "It's gorgeous! I'll put it on my dresser," she told him as she moved toward it.

He grabbed her arm to stop her. "You don't believe me, huh?"

She giggled. "Sure it's a dragon egg. What other creature could have such a wondrous egg?"

"I guess I have to prove it to you, don't I?"

"Prove it? My imagination can see it for what it is."

He smiled again and pulled her to the window. "I figured since you believe in them so much, you'd want more than just your imagination." Her brows furrowed as she looked at him. He chuckled. "Hold it up to the sun," he told her quietly.

Her eyes were hooded in suspicion as her brows furrowed even more. "What?"

He got in behind her and reached around and took the egg. "Hold it in front of the light," he repeated as he started to position it in front of the sun.

The sunlight filtered through the egg as if it was transparent and she sucked in her breath. As if looking at the veins in the hand using a powerful flashlight, the content of the egg was revealed by the sun. There, curled up in a little ball, was a baby dragon in glorious detail. She could clearly see its adorable, horned, little head, its transparent folded wings, its spines going down its back, its tail, its clawed feet, everything. She quickly took it from him to bring it down to her height properly. He chuckled at the look of wonder on her face.

She looked at him. "How?"

He shrugged. "I have no idea."

"Where did you find such a thing," she asked as she studied it some more.

He chuckled. "In Braemar at the festival."

She hugged it to her chest. "How did you keep that hidden?"

He laughed. "I had them ship it to Donna's. She put it in my closet when it came."

She sat it down on the bed and pulled him into a hug. "I have never had a gift so amazing. Thank you."

He smiled brightly. "I knew you'd love it," he told her and then gave her a kiss.

Once she pulled away from him, she picked it up and went to her dresser. He pulled a little wooden stand out of the box and put it down so she could set the egg on it. "There, now it doesn't look so bare since my dragon isn't there anymore."

Hotch choked on his own breath and quickly ducked his head. "I am so sorry, Babe."

She giggled. "I know, Hun," she told him as she pulled him to her.

"I didn't think you knew."

"I found some of the shards behind my nightstand when I was cleaning."

"Why didn't you ever say anything? I actually thought maybe you didn't remember it."

"How could I have not remembered Drake the Black Dragon? I had him since I was sixteen."

He pulled away from her as self-loathing and shame overtook his features quickly. "Oh, Babe. . ."

"Stop. I understand why it happened. I'm actually surprised that is the only thing that got broken."

"I did look for another one. I found a few that were close, but none that matched him completely," he told her sheepishly.

"You wouldn't have been able to find another; he was one of a kind."

He hung his head; unable to look at her any more.

She reached and lifted his chin. "It's fine, Aaron," she told him with a smile. "Besides that egg is a hundred times better than that dragon ever was."

He perked up a little with that. "Are you sure?"

"Of course! I have my very own dragon egg!" she told him with a big smile. "How awesome is that?" she asked as she pulled him back to her. "I love it and I love you!"

He finally smiled. "That's one of a kind, too. The lady hand paints them and it was the only blue one she had."

"It's amazing, Hun. I mean it. I just don't understand how it looks solid sitting there, but in front of the light it shows what's inside."

His dimples finally reemerged. "Just like a real egg."

She giggled. "That's true." She pulled away from him. "I better get dressed and get started on getting things ready."

He headed for the door. "I'll get stuff cleaned up down stairs."

XXX

Morgan and Mina were the first ones to arrive, and within a half an hour, the whole team and their other halves and families were there. Chuck and Vinnie came, too.

Rossi was helping Hotch man the grill. "It's a good thing you've healed. The team would have known what those marks were," Rossi told him with a grin.

"Would you stop," Hotch told him quietly as he looked around to make sure no one else had heard him.

Rossi chuckled.

The girls were all sitting around the table on the deck telling each other about their vacations as the kids played in the yard and the men hung out around patio and the grill.

"Amy Baker, is that a ring on your left hand?" JJ asked her quickly.

Amy's smile lit up the table as she held her hand out for everyone to see. "Yes. Spencer proposed last week."

They all got up and congratulated her with kisses and hugs.

"So when is the big day?" Mina asked her.

"We haven't decided yet. We're not in a big hurry," she told them as she looked at Reid affectionately.

The guys quickly started shaking Reid's hand apparently hearing the news. too.

"We found the cutest B&B in Rode Island," Garcia told them.

"Jesus. How many different states did you all visit?" Mack asked her.

"Six. We spent three days in one and then pointed on the map and went to the other for another three days. We stopped anywhere that looked interesting," Garcia explained with a smile.

"Sam and I spent about a week at my parents' place and then he took me to Colorado to meet his folks," Mack told them all as her face turned a little red.

"Ohhhh, are things getting a little more serious between my Red Riding Hood and her Titan?" Garcia asked with a grin.

Mack turned even redder. "Maybe." They all laughed.

"So how was your trip to Israel?" Kahlan asked Mina.

Mina smiled. "I had to threaten two of my sisters to keep away from Derek, but other than that, it went very well."

They all laughed. "So no problems with the parents?" Vinnie asked her as she rubbed her stomach. With being so slim, being eight months pregnant made her look like she was going to pop.

"Of course not, they loved Derek."

"Of course they did," Garcia agreed.

XXX

Once the food was done, everyone gathered around at the tables, the adults at two tables stuck together and the kids at another. They all enjoyed the food and conversation.

Once they were done eating, the team and Chuck and Cam cornered Hotch and Kahlan in the kitchen.

"Alright, Hotch, man, you have to tell us about whatever it is you were doing with Emily," Morgan told him with a grin.

"Yeah! We were told we couldn't work but you just had to find something to do, didn't you?" JJ asked him with a grin.

Hotch chuckled. "I didn't find it. It found us," Hotch started and then he and his wife shared the story.

Once they were done, Hotch could tell Chuck was a little upset. "You're not allowed to go on vacation anymore!" Chuck told them seriously.

Everyone laughed and Kahlan put her arm around him and gave him a squeeze. "I wouldn't want to face something like that again without you," she told him seriously.

XXX

Once everyone left and the kids were asleep, Kahlan turned off the tv and pulled Hotch up off the couch. "Come on," she told him and pulled him toward the steps.

"I am kind of tired. I wouldn't have thought six hours would make that big of a difference, but it has. I'm so glad we came back two days early," he told her as he followed her up the steps.

Her shoulders drooped as she went into their room. "You're tired?" she asked as she turned to him.

He shut their door and eyed her for a moment, and then went and put his hands on her waist. "Babe, are you sure you're ready for that?" he asked her tenderly. They hadn't shared any real intimacy since that horrible night he tied her up.

She pulled him as she moved backwards to the bed. As the back of her knees connected with it, she pulled him down on top of her. "Shut up, and make love to me, Aaron."

He smiled and leaned down. "Yes, Ma'am," he told her and gave her a passionate kiss.

XXX

Hotch was early for work the next morning. He was actually looking forward to getting into a case as he walked through the bullpen. He noticed Rossi already at his desk, too, and chuckled. _Apparently I'm not the only one._

He went to his office, opened the door, and set his briefcase down on the couch. As soon as he turned to his desk, he froze. There, right in the middle of his clean desk was a piece of rope. _Damn you David Michael Rossi! _His head snapped to the glass doors as he heard talking. Morgan, Garcia, and Reid had come in together. He quickly grabbed the rope and stuffed it into his bottom desk drawer as he shook his head. _I'm going to kill him!_

Within half an hour, a young agent brought a box to Hotch. He was out in the bullpen going over a few consults with the team. He eyed the box warily but accepted it and put it down on Reid's desk. They all quickly looked to see where it came from. "Interpol?" Mack asked with awe.

"What's Emily sending you?" JJ asked quickly.

"Not Emily. That's Clyde's name on there," Morgan pointed out.

Hotch licked his lips as he took out his keys to cut through the tape. Inside the box, was a black plastic box that looked a little like a tackle box. Hotch reached in and took it out. Rossi picked up a piece of paper that fell to the ground. "Looks like a there's a note," he said as he handed the paper to Hotch without reading it.

Hotch sat the box down and took the paper. 'For all of your hard work. I hope these can help you with your cases, Clyde.'

He handed Rossi the note and then opened the box. Inside were nine sets of gear he had used at the gala. He shook his head as Morgan whistled and Reid picked up the stack of user guides.

"Damn, Hotch, I think you may have played down your role in London," Mack told him with a smile.

"Wow. These will come in handy on some cases," Reid told them as he flew through guides explaining what everything was and how to use them.

"Why nine sets?" JJ asked him.

Morgan chuckled. "I guess you never know when we'll have help on a case," he told her with a smile.

Hotch shared a look with Rossi and he could tell he thought the same thing. _Us six and Kahlan, Chuck, and Cam._ "Well, I guess I'll keep it in my office," Hotch told them as he closed the box.

XXX

Within twenty minutes, they were in the conference room going over a new case that was going to take them to Utah to help catch a serial rapist.

"So he ties them up with rope, huh?" Rossi mused aloud, and he was the only one to notice the ghost of a wince that crossed Hotch's face. Years of learning how to control his expressions let Rossi hold back the chuckle that wanted to escape.

"Yes, but it's so common that it couldn't be traced," Garcia told them and then continued her briefing.

Once she was done, and all questions answered, Hotch stood up. "Wheels up in thirty," he told them and they headed to get their things. Rossi made sure to allow Hotch to leave the room before him.

About ten minutes later, Garcia stuck her head in Hotch's door and knocked.

"Come in," Hotch said without looking up.

"I took the liberty, Sir," Garcia started as she advanced to his desk.

Hotch looked up, and she handed him a picture frame. It was the photo of the family in their Medieval costumes at the Braemar festival. He smiled. "Thank you, Penelope," he told her as he stood up.

"With all of the pictures I've seen and everything I heard, I can imagine that it was great vacation," she told him.

"It was," he told her truthfully as he looked at the picture again and smiled.

"A wonderful vacation with a wonderful family," she mused and headed out the door.

He sat down and put the new frame next to the others on the side of his desk and smiled again. _My thoughts exactly!_

**The End**

*Kahlan's birthday gift is up on the site. Thank you for reading, and leave a review if you haven't yet.

**And the next story is in the works. Hopefully the first chapter will be up soon.


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